The Amaranthine Chronicles
by Powerslammer
Summary: The Blight is over. The Fereldan Civil War has been settled. But times are not peaceful. The darkspawn still remain and are now a greater threat than they ever were during the Blight. Aedan Cousland, Warden and Reaver, is once again called upon to defend his beloved homeland. The darkspawn are going to wish they went just went back to the Deep Roads. Please, please review.
1. Chapter 1

**Arriving in Amaranthine**

Aedan's journey back to the lowlands of the Bannorn was long and tiresome. Not just the travel back down from the treacherous Frostback Mountains but the failure of being unable to find his Golden-Eyed Darling and the mother of his child, Morrigan. She was pregnant with their baby and he wanted to be there with her, despite his promise to let her go after the Archdemon had been slain. But he was honor-bound by his duty to serve and protect his country no matter how much his heart screamed to be with Morrigan.

As he made his way to the Circle Tower of Kinloch Hold Aedan couldn't help but lament the paradoxical concept that was duty. There was honor to be found in duty and too often the masses think that honor is the stepping stone to glory. But seldom do any of them actually understand what honor and duty truly mean, and that glory is as fleeting as the dawn. Honor and duty can lead a man to greatness and compel him to do very ugly things. Aedan had always been a man who walked that razor edge, but his time as a Warden showed him just how thin that edge truly is.

Now he was being called to lead the Arling of Amaranthine, to rebuild the Order of The Grey in Ferelden as the new Warden Commander and deal with the darkspawn that have fled to the region. This is exactly what Aedan didn't want to do his whole life. Ever since he was young he never wanted to take up the mantle of leadership insofar as being a lord or a politician. He always thought such a burden would be left to his older brother, while Aedan was always content to just lead men into battle and fight the enemies of his people's freedom, namely Orlais. Now he was being called to do both; rule over an arling and lead men into battle, not against Orlesians but against darkspawn. Honor and duty really sucked ass.

Aedan finally arrived at the Circle Tower. There was still damage left over from Uldred's insane take over and the invasion of abominations, but the rapairs were being made. Templars and mages both, working together to rebuild this place that was home to both of them. Such a shame it took unspoken horrors and incalculable carnage to get them to work together.

Aedan was not surprised to be greeted by Knight-Commander Gregoir. _"Hail, Warden."_ The older knight saluted with respect._ "Or do you prefer 'Hero' these days?"_

_"Actually I prefer to just being called 'Aedan'."_ The Warden answered. _"My mother didn't name me 'Warden' or 'Hero'. But if we're going to stand on ceremony, you may as well address me as Commander, because that's my rank now, apparently."_

_"As you wish."_ Gregoir acknowledged._ "His Majesty sent over some supplies for your arrival. Your escort should be here shortly. I must return to my duties. Farewell, Warden-Commander."_ Gregoir respectfully saluted Aedan, turned in his heel and resumed his duties as Knight-Commander, leaving Aedan to himself in the Circle Tower's main hall.

Aedan just stood there for a while, waiting for the other Wardens to show up so they could leave. As he stood around he noticed a few wide-eyed young female apprentices around a corner trying to sneak a peak at him and giggling under their breath about how the Hero of Ferelden was actually here. He also overheard some of the Templars talking about how not too long ago Cullen was transferred to the Circle in Kirkwall. That what he experienced as Uldred's captive made Gregoir dismiss him from Kinloch Hold. Cullen? Cullen? Aedan felt like he knew that name from somewhere. Oh well. Must not have meant that much to him to actually remember.

Alistair's, or rather "King Alistair"s, letter told him to come here and that there'd be a party of Grey Wardens waiting for him at the tower, but the only Grey Warden Aedan found was in his own damned reflection. As he stood there with his already limited patience quickly running thin. Where the fuck are the other Wardens?

As The Hero of Ferelden stood around like damned statue, he was approached by a young woman in armor. She was a little younger than Aedan was and actually very pretty. She wore splintmail armor and had her chestnut brown hair tied into two tight buns. When the young lady reached Aedan she stood at attention and flawlessly saluted him._ "Commander! Ser Mhairi, reporting for duty!"_

_"At ease, knight."_ Aedan bade. _"What duties are you reporting for?"_

_"Ser, I've been assigned to escort you to the fortress of Vigil's Keep in Amaranthine for you to address your new duties as Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Also I am here as a volunteer for recruitment into the Order."_ Mhairi answered with discipline and respect worthy of a soldier.

They send a recruit to meet him instead of veteran Wardens? _"What about the Wardens from Orlais who were supposed to meet me here?"_

_"They've already arrived at Vigil's Keep by boat, ser. I was sent to escort you while they oversee the preparations for your arrival."_

Aedan could sense there something else. There was a look in her eye like there was something she didn't want to tell him. _"Is there anything else you're supposed to tell me, Ser Mhairi?"_

Mhairi swallowed hard and mustered her courage. "_I am also to tell you that you will not be receiving an invitation to to King Alistair's marriage."_

Aedan wasn't sure he just heard that. _"I'm sorry. Either my sense of hearing just died or I'm going completely insane, but I thought you just said that King Alistair, who up until a the heighth of the Blight, never even slept with a woman is now getting married? And I'm not receiving an invitation?"_

_"Your state of mind is as sound as your hearing, Commander."_ Mhairi confirmed grimly.

Marriage!? A royal marriage!? And he's not invited!? _"And who the hell is King Alistair supposed to be marrying that he should deny me an invitation to such a joyous albeit curious occasion?"_

Mhairi's lips twitched with a fear reserved for facing down ogres._ "King Alistair has made arrangments to marry…."_ Mhairi swallowed hard and prepared for the worst. _"…Anora Mac Tir of the Teyrnir of Gwaren."_ The young knight's tone was meek and her voice was quiet with fear.

There was a long awkward silence that seemed to fill the whole tower accompanied by a single cricket chirping a mocking tone. The twitching veins popping in Aedan's forehead made it look like his head was going to explode. **"WHAAAT!?" **The entire tower shook and echoed with his outrage.

**Later on the Merchant's Road….**

Aedan was still stewing over what Mhairi had told him back at the tower and he still couldn't believe it. How could Alistair even consider such a thing? That stuck up little bitch who wanted to be daddy's little girl betrayed them to their deaths! Twice! Even after they risked their own lives to save her sorry ass, and after Aedan arranged for her and Alistair to marry each other for their country's benefit. And now, after she'd been beaten and imprisoned, her father publically condemned and executed, and after Aedan tried to convince her to commit suicide, she decides she wants to follow through with her promise and marry Alistair. He should have piked her pretty head right next to her father's.

Aedan noticed the anger radiating off of him was making his escort feel uncomfortable and tried to think about something that would make him feel less homicidal. _"So what's your story, Mhairi?"_

_"Oh. Um, I'm nothing special, Commander."_ The young soldier flustered. _"My story's not half as interesting as yours, I'm certain."_

_"Everyone's got a story."_ Aedan informed. _"Yours somehow led you to wearing armor."_

_"Well, growing up I was hooked on tales of great lords, selfless heroes and valiant champions, and I always wanted to be just like them."_ Mhairi answered sheepishly. _"When I was sixteen my parents arranged for me to get married to some merchant. I wasn't in the mood to have my life ended before it even began, so I enlisted in the army. I guess I impressed the right people, after a few years in the service I was given a knighthood."_

_"Where were you during the Blight?"_

_"There was a bit of a schism in the military after what happened at Ostagar."_ Mhairi informed. Aedan was unaware of this. _"Some thought what Loghain did was the smart decision but some of us viewed it as him abandoning his post in the heat of battle, a capital offense. And then he just used the Wardens as a scapegoat to cover up his mistakes. While many stayed loyal to Loghain just as many abandoned the army and went home to protect our families. I didn't rejoin the army until the Landsmeet had been decided."_

_"But you abandoned your own duty in a time of war when your country needed you. How is that any better than what Loghain did?"_

_"I am not a Templar, Commander!"_ Mhairi denied. _"I made no holy vows. I swore an oath to defend my country, not help one man tear the country apart for one man's lunacy or help him in his bid to control it."_

Aedan chuckled lightly. That was a very good answer. _"Do you also realize that there is a likely chance that you may die trying to become a Warden?"_

_"I took that risk every time I stepped on a battlefield, Commander. I am not scared to die for my country."_

_"Ha! Mhairi, I think you and I are going to get along very well."_ The two of them continued their quiet march to Vigil's Keep in silence and respect.

**Vigil's Keep….**

Vigil's Keep was one of the oldest most storied keeps in all of Ferelden. Built by the Avvar in the ancient times to repel the invading forces of the Tevinter Imperium, it has been the sight of every battle against foreign forces that invaded this land. During the Orlesian Occupation, this fortress was the first to be taken, thanks to the apparently inherint treachery of the Howes and the last keep to be freed from the Orlesians. And thanks to Rendon Howe's treachery, treason and being an all around bastard, this mighty Keep was now the property of the Grey Wardens, and Aedan was its new Commander. Even after Howe's excruciating death at his hands, Aedan was still able to rub salt on Howe's wounded pride, and that brought Aedan a grisly sense of joy.

The sky was dark and the rain began to fall as clouds from the Storm Coast blow in from the north. Aedan and Mhairi were now within a mere few hundred yards of the historical keep, but something was wrong. The Wardens knew of Aedan's impending arrival, but there was no entourage to greet them. Where were the soldiers that were supposed to be standing their posts here? And everything seemed far too quiet. Something was very wrong indeed.

A horrified scream broke over the sound the thunderclaps and rainfall as Aedan and Mhairi saw a man running frantically in terror. From group of darkspawn. In the Keep! _"What the fuck!?"_ The two warriors drew their weapons, Mhairi's sword and shield, and Aedan his war-axe, and charged the blighted wretches. Aedan rushed two of the darkspawn, swung his axe low and hacked their feet off right below the ankles. The genlocks fell backwards screaming and snarling in furious agony, their new stumps kicking wildly and spurting blood. Mhairi charged the third with her shield, knocking it to the ground and finishing it with her sword through it heart.

The merchant who was outrunning the 'spawn finished one of the now footless gunlocks by smashin its head in with a mace. Each swing was wild and filled fear rather than purpose as he screamed in horror with tears of terror crawling down his eyes, trying to make sure it was dead. Aedan remembered that the average person never sees a darkspawn and how most of them are never prepared to fight evil incarnate. This poor man was one of the unfortunate many who was caught unprepared for such creatures. When the man was sure the creature was dead he looked over to the new Commander of the Grey, his terror-filled eyes bloomed with hope and relief. _"It's you, isn't it?"_ The man sobbed. _"The Hero of Ferelden? Oh, thank the Maker!"_

_"Haakon's freezing balls!"_ Aedan cursed._ "What the fuck is happening!?"_

_"I-I don't know!"_ The merchant yelled. _"All I heard was screams and everyone around me was dying! They came out of nowhere! You need to help them. You need to do something!""_

_"What about the Wardens? Where are the other Wardens?"_

_"There was one beside me earlier, but I think the darkspawn got to him before I reached the gate."_

An ambush on Vigil's Keep? And the darkspawn taking the Wardens by surprise? Impossible! This is exactly what the Wardens and this fortress were made for. Something was very wrong._ "Get to safety."_ Aedan ordered._ "A patrol must be nearby. Find one and have them protect any survivors who make it out of the Keep."_

_"Understood, Commander."_ The merchant ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. Hopefully he could find some help.

_"We don't have a lot of time, Commander."_ Mhairi urged.

"_The darkspawn were coordinated to launch a sneak attack? That's impossible."_ Aedan stated.

_"This isn't a Blight."_ Mhairi confirmed. _"How can they be so organized?"_

Aedan pondered for a split second. _"Perhaps something else is leading them?"_

_"Other than an Archdemon? That's a frightening thought."_

That all too familiar murderous energy began to radiate off of Aedan as the rage built up inside him as his Reaver abilities began to manifest. _"Come on. Let's go give them a frightening thought."_

_"Right. Let's teach these bastards a lesson."_

The battle into the Keep was hard, but nothing Aedan was unaccustomed to. He had fought worse numbers in the Deep Roads. What was strange was while the ambush was obviously organized the darkspawn's attack wasn't; it was more like a free-for-all and the darkspawn just happened to have more numbers. What kind of attack was this?

An ogre and a genlock mage blocked their path into the fortress, but Aedan sensed that the caliber of this threat, even from the ogre, was not the worst thing he'd ever faced. Mhairi expertly threw her sword at the genlock's head and ran it through the mouth, while Aedan charged the ogre. Having fought many ogres during the Blight Aedan knew exactly how to face one when necessary. He flanked around to its side and chopped his axe on the monster's achiles tendon. The massive monstrosity roared in agony as black ichor sprayed out of the severed arteries and fell with a thunderous thud to the ground. Before the giant could have a chance to do anything else, Aedan raised his axe a plunged it right between its eyes and split the creature skull in half. Aedan dislodged his weapon from the ogre's skull and the two continued to make their way inside and find out what was really happening.

After killing every darkspawn that got in their way, the two warriors made it to the inner-courtyard of the Keep. _"The darkspawn are everywhere!"_ Mahiri lamented. _"How could the Wardens not sense them coming? I don't understand."_

Aedan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It took a lot of brain power that he darkspawn don't possess to pull of an attack like this and yet the darkspawn they were fighting had absolutely no coordination. This smelled like some kind of cover up attack. _"Who is in command here, Mhairi?"_

_"Varel, the seneschal."_ Mhairi answered. _"He was originally the seneschal of this keep, but Howe imprisoned when he refused to partake in the arl's treason. The king reinstated him after the war."_

Seneschal Varel. That was who they needed to reach. If anyone could give them an idea about what's going on and what they need to do it would be him. _"Mhairi, I'm going to need sharp and ready if we're going to make it through this. Understand?"_

_"You can count on me commander."_ Mhairi assured.

The gate into the keep had been closed. They would need to raise the port cullis to get in. The two ran up the rampart on the upper levels of the castle wall. As they reached the door Aedan heard the frantic screams of terrible agony and smelled the all too familiar scent of burning flesh. Aedan kicked the door right off its hinges prepared for a fight. Instead all they found was a blonde mage shooting fire from his finger tips and on to a group of hurlocks. When the mage was sure the broiled Hurlock was dead he tried to blow the smoke of his burning fingers and was shocked to see the two warriors behind him. For a second he just stood there with a "don't look at me, I didn't do it" look on his face.

_"Er…I didn't do it."_ The mage finally said after he found his tongue. _"But don't get me wrong, I'm not broken up about them dying, to be perfectly honest. Biff there made the funniest gurgle when he went down."_ He pointed to a group of dead bodies, all armed and armored with the Chantry Sunburst emblazoned on their breastplates. Templars?

Aedan took a moment to observe the mage; he was of medium height and slight of build, typical of someone who spends their life locked in a tower with limited physical activity. His sandy blonde hair was pulled back into a short ponytail as well a five o'clock stubble. Aedan could see mischief and defiance in his blue eyes.

_"I take it they weren't friends of yours?"_ Aedan surmised.

"No. Of course they were." The mage answered sarcastically._ "Some of my best friends tie me down and beat me up then drag me off to be imprisoned. They just happened to have the misfortune of being set upon by darkspawn when they were least expecting it."_

_"And you are?"_

_"Right, manners. My name is Anders, mage and, sadly, wanted apostate. At your humble service."_ The mage introduced.

_"An apostate? At Vigil's Keep?"_ Mhairi commented.

Anders' eyes lit up like a lamp when he finally noticed Mhairi. _"You weren't here when we arrived, were you? No, you couldn't have been. I know I'd remember a lovely lady like you."_

_"And what the hell is an apostate doing in a castle manned by Grey Wardens?"_ Aedan inquired.

_"Oh, right. That. Well, the Templars thought we'd make quick stop here before going back to the tower."_ Anders informed as he looked at the templars' dead bodies gloatingly. _"And now they're all dead. Such a tragedy."_

_"Look, Anders. I actually don't give two nug-shits who you are."_ Aedan confessed with out care. _"I got darkspawn tearing up my castle, and I don't have time to really care about the Chantry's bullshit."_

_"Really? Never got that response before."_ Anders admitted._ "Look, I suppose I could help you fend off the darkspawn…or you could let me go. They'll send more Templars after me. They always do."_

_"Well, if you help me clear out the darkspawn I may be grateful enough to speak on your behalf."_ Aedan reasoned._ "A word from the Hero of Ferelden carries a lot of weight around here."_

_"A favor from the Hero of Ferelden?"_ The mage pondered. _"I'll do it! I may not be a Grey Warden, but I certainly don't like these darkspawn. And I'm sure you'd give the Chantry's lackies a reason for pause."_

_"Are you sure about this, Commander?"_ Mhairi questioned.

_"We don't exactly have a lot of helping hands here, recruit."_ Aedan answered. _"The darkspawn have taken control of the Keep. We need to get to the port cullis controls if we're to get inside the castle."_

The three of them made their way to the barricades to reach the port cullis, but, surprise, there was a squad of darkspawn in their way. They snarled spit-filled growls of anger and waved their crude jagged weapons at their intended vitims as they charged them. Thanfully the narrow barricade nullified the strength of their numbers. _"Mhairi, Anders…Kiss the floor!"_ Aedan roared. Anders and Mhairi instantly dropped to the ground to avoid what Aedan was going to do. The Hero went Berserk as wielded his axe with blinding fury. The confined space quickly became a killing field as Aedan swung his axe back and forth, decimating, dismembering, dissecting and decapitating every blighted wretch unfortunate enough to be within range of Aedan's anger. Aedan finally reached the genlock mage that was leading them, and before that damned thing could cojure up a spell Aedan raised The Mabari's Teeth above his head and brought it down on the wretched creature, cleaving it perfectly in half.

Aedan paused for a brief moment as he basked in the pain and carnage he had inflicted on these monsters. The air in his lungs, the scent of tainted blood in the air and on his face. The rain falling from the sky, drowing out the surrounding screams. These creatures fed of the pain and death of the living. He was going to feed on theirs.

As they made their way to the port cullis controls Aedan spotted a crazed-looking dwarf on the other side of the courtyard screaming at a group of darkspawn bellow like a maniac and flipping them the finger. _"Oh, we're scared now! Don't come over here! HA!"_ The dwarf mocked. The darkspawn all charged towards the stairs to rip the mad dwarf apart. Once they reached the inner courtyard they exploded into a ball of fire!

What the hell just happened!? It was like dragonfire was set off in the middle of the yard and reduced all those darkspawn to ash. The crazed darkspawn looked on in awe as the darspawn screamed and ran as their bodies burned. _"It'll take more than that to kill us beasties! Come again if ya dare!"_ he screamed as he retreated into the keep.

As they fought their way further and further inside, killing any darkspawn they found and saving any survivor they could find, Aedan caught a whiff of something he hadn't smelled in a while. A stench he had hoped to and had been trying to forget. A rancid odor that could belong to only one vile creature in all of Thedas! Aedan charged through the hallway and to the barracks, following the rank stink offending his nostrils and heard the most coarse war cry he had every heard. "Oh, no!" Aedan thought to himself._ "Not that. Anything but that!"_

Aedan bursted through the door hoping that all he would find was just more darkspawn. Instead he found something worse. The diminuitive owner of the coarse war cries and offensive ordor swung his maul at his taller adversaries. The thick locks of his red, unkempt beard swished with every swing of his weapon. He smashed his hammer head against a Hurlock Alpha's kneecap and finished it off by caving its skull in. He noticed Aedan had just charged in and waved to him like all he was doing was having fun at the park.

_"Oghren."_ Aedan groaned with mixed familiarity and dread. He had hoped it would be at least a few years before he'd ever have to be offended by his that besodded dwarf's terrible body odor again. Aedan and his companions joined the fray and quickly dispatched the small number of darkspawn in the chamber.

When the blighters were all dead Oghren scrapped off the bits of blood and brains that clung to his hammer and looked over to his former companion with a look of excitement on his face. _"Aha! Ya finally made!"_ The dwarf laughed._ "When these darkspawn showed up I thought 'just wait 'till the new Commander gets here and you all are gonna get yer arses kicked right out of your throats!' Followed the screaming and, sure enough, here ya are. Good on ya!"_

Aedan tried his hardest to hide his discomfort from Oghren, but he was definetly curious about why Oghren was here of all places. Wasn't he given high rank in the Ferelden army? But right now there was only one thing on Aedan's mind._ "YOU STILL STINK!"_

_"Eh. That's just the smell of warrior pride fillin' the air."_ Oghren waved off. _"Breath it in deep and enjoy it!"_ Aedan didn't dare for fear of choking on it and dying. _"Anyway, I thought I'd come here and try my hand at becoming a bona fide Grey Warden."_

Mhairi's nose wrinkled and her lips curdled like sour milk. _"He was here when I left. I can't believe the Wardens didn't throw him out."_

_"Hey! If it isn't the recruit with the great rack!"_ Oghren laughed.

Mhairi groaned is disgust for the putrid dwarf. _"Yes. A prize for the Wardens to be sure."_

_"I know, I know."_ Oghren said sarcastically as he eyed Anders. _"Is this your boyfriend? Should I leave you two alone?"_

_"Wow! A dwarf who smells like a burning brewery and farts! Don't see those anywhere."_ Anders mocked.

_"Ha. A mage comedian. Thought those usually died young."_ Oghren commented.

As much as he had contempt for Oghren's horrible, unwashed stink, his lack of manners, decency and self-respect, Aedan had no desire to see Oghren die in an attempt to become a Warden. _"Oghren…you must know that in trying to join the Wardens you risk dying."_

_"Bah! There's a risk of me dying everytime I chug down another mug of ale!"_ Oghren growled. _"I piss on risk."_

_"I'm sure 'risk' appreciates it."_ Anders commented.

_"Well, that's all talk for later. Right now, there a lot of darkspawn that need murderin'!"_ Oghren picked up his hammer and joined his old companion onward into the castle.

Even the barracks were overrun with darkspawn. How the hell did they get in here? Genlocks and Hurlocks tearing this proud keep apart with their very presence. Aedan felt his anger rise and boil in his veins as he saw the dead bodies of the soldiers, recruits and volunteers laid strewn on the castle floor as darkspawn defaced and devoured them. Aedan jaw clenched and his nostrils flared as he inhaled the entropic energies of the death and carnage around him and make him stronger as his anger rose.

Anders set up a protective barrier around his comrades as they engaged the darkspawn. Oghren and Aedan advanced on their enemy, cleaving and smahing their foes with wide devastating arcs from their hammer and axe while Mhairi protected their flank by smashing any enemy that tried to get around them with her shield and finishing them off with her sword.

When every darkspawn in the barracks was dead the four of them made their way further inward. Mhairi gasped in terror as they happened another soldier in the hallway. His armor had been pierced in the abdomen and was steadily losing blood. He was alive, but not for long.

_"Mhairi?"_ The wounded soldier gasped.

_"Commander, Rowland is a knight recruited from Denerim like me."_ Mhairi explained. _"We must do something for him."_

_"He looks beyond healing magic, I'm afraid."_ Anders informed sadly. _"Maybe some whiskey for the pain?"_

_"Heh. I like the way you think, kid."_ Oghren commented insensitively.

_"Stop joking!"_ Mhairi yelled at stench-ridden dwarf with outrage. _"This is serious!"_

_"The…the C-commander?"_ Rowland gasped.

Aedan knelt down nest to the injured knight. _"Rowland, what happened here?"_

_"Th-the darkspawn came out of no where. We barely had enough time to g-grab our weapons."_ Rowland wheezed through the pain. _"Th-the seneschal ordered a counter-attack, but there were just too many of them. We don't know where they even came from! There's one with them, a darkspawn that talks! H-he gave the darkspawn orders; his magic is powerful. H-he went after the seneschal."_

_"A talking darkspawn?"_ Oghren echoed in disbelief. _"The lad's delirious."_

_"There's some thing in my blood. It hurts!"_ Rowland sobbed.

Rowland's eyes and skin were as pale as death, his veins were black with poison: the Blight was coursing through his veins. Aedan couldn't leave him like this and reached for his hunting knife._ "Rowland, I'm sorry."_

_"It…was an honor, Commander."_ Aedan placed his hand over Rowland's eyes then quickly mercifully plunged his knife into the knight's heart. Rowland's death was instant.

Aedan wiped the young man's blood off his knife, the young man's death while trying to perform his duty reminded him so much of Ser Gilmore and the night Aedan's life had been stolen from him. Another night in which a proud and might castle and all the dutiful souls that served in it were felled in a surprise attack by a hated enemy. Aedan rose from his knees with renewed hatred and resolve in his eyes. He was going to destroy every single darkspawn in this castle. He had already lost one castle entrusted to him, he would **not** lose another.

The four ran outside to the top of the castle's battlements to rescue Seneschal Varel and find this…talking darkspawn Rowland mentioned. They ran outside and found the seneschal being forced to his knees at swordpoint and surrounded by several Hurlocks, and they also found what must've been this darkspawn leader. A bizzare looking Hurlock Alpha. It wore a chain mail hood and its armor, while crude, was more sophisticated than any of the other darkspawns'. It also wore a tattered tunic with some kind of queer symbol on its chest. But its eyes were unlike any other darkspawns'. Instead of pale, milky white like a corpse drained of blood, this creature's eyes looked…alive? Aedan watched in horror the darkspawn leader kicked one of the soldiers off the battlement and on to the spiked wooden fence below, but was even more horrified when the damned thing spoke!

_"It has ended. Just as he foretold."_ The heinous creature spoke in a lisping accent that almost sounded Fereldan. It turned its attention to Seneschal Varel. _"Be taking this one gently."_ It instructed its fellow Hurlock. _"We are wishing no more death than is necessary."_

Varel looked at the creature with searing hatred as he hocked in his throat and shot a ball of spit at the vile thing's tunic. _"Neccesary!? As if your kind have ever done anything else!"_

The alpha's wormy lips curled into a disgusting smile that showed off its jagged, rotting teeth as it wiped the spittle off his chest. _"You are thinking you know of our kind, human?"_ it laughed. "_It is understandable. But it will soon be changed."_

_"Others are coming, creature!"_ Varel promised._ "They will stop you!"_

The alpha finally noticed the pissed off four who finally arrived. But it looked more pleased than surprised. _"It seems your words be true, more than you are guessing."_ The creature looked directly at Aedan with intent, smiling that grotesque grin. _"And here be the last one. Before you, Grey Warden, is the Withered, I am the one who brought my brethren to your castle. You will be coming with us."_

_"It is talking!"_ Anders gasped. _"I thought I was just going crazy."_

_"Well, let's shut it up already!"_ Oghren growled.

_"Capture the Grey Warden."_ The talking Alpha ordered. _"These others, they may be killed."_

_"No!"_ Aedan snarled. _"I'm gonna smear your ugly face all over my walls."_ Aedan raised The Mabari's Teeth over his head and threw at the Hurlock holding Varel hostage, splitting its skull right in half. Anders cast an ice spell on the surrounding darkspawn, allowing Oghren and Mhairi to shatter them like glass statues as Aedan charged The Withered with his bare hands.

The Withered whipped out a jagged, scycle-like sword and charged Aedan with a crude, savage shield. Before the shield could make contact Aedan smashed it face with his fist, an aura of black-red surrounding his hands as he attacked the vile creature. The Withered was sent flying backwards from the impact of the blow, his shield completely shattered. It sprung back to its feet and resumed attacking, swinging the jagged sickle in its fist wildly at the Commander.

Aedan dodged the creature's vicious, clumsy blows with relative ease, the look of seething hatred never leaving his face. The vicious blade cut the very air as The Withered kept trying to cut down his adversary, but Aedan had enough. The Withered made one last attempt to cut off Aedan's head, but Aedan blocked the creature's swing, grabbed its wrist in a vice like grip and twisted it with all his might. The Withered screamed in horrible agony.

The bones in Withered's wrist shattered as its arms was twisted out of its socket, his arm now hung like pathetically and limp from its body. But Aedan was not done, he wanted this…sin against nature to feel real pain before it died for what it had done to this castle and all who defended it. Aedan grabbed the monster by its throat, raised him into the air and threw him like a ragdoll, face first, aganst the wall. Before it could stagger back to its feet the pissed off Commander stomped his foot on the darkspawn's back and snapped his spine beneath his heel. _"No!"_ The Withered screamed. _"This cannot be! This wasn't supposed to happen!"_

"_**SHUT! UP!"**_ Aedan grabbed the Withered by its head and proceeded to smash its face aganst the wall, leaving splatters of blood and broken teeth on the stones. He shoved the hurlock's face against the stone wall one last time and started grinding its face against the rough stones of the castle wall. Its skull being crushed in the Commander's grip as its face was smeared back and forth, left then right, leaving behind a stain of black blood, torn flesh and bits of skull where ugly face used to be. After a moments Aedan stopped and watched the wretched creature slump to the floor, its filth-ridden body twitching pathetically. But just for good measure, and to satisfy his own lust for blood, Aedan raised his plate-mailed boot and brought it down on The Withered's mutilated head. Its brains and blood splattered all over Aedan's heel.

The Commander made his way over to Seneschal Varel, scraping the bits of brans off his heel as he walked. _"Commander, I owe you my life."_ Varel thanked as Aedan helped him to his feet. Varel looked down at the road below leading to the keep and noticed the patrol of heavily armed and armored men marching towards the castle. _"Hmm…soldiers on the road. It seems we have more company. Let's hope they're more hospitable than our previous guests."_

The five survivors made their way to the gate, the Seneschal and the Commander both kneeled dutifully at the sight of a certain blonde haired man wearing magnificent Fereldan plate mail and his entourage bearing the royal coat arms and accompanied by an escort of Templars. _"It looks like I arrived a bit late."_ The king lamented sarcastically. _"Too bad. I rather miss the whole darkspawn-killing thing."_

Mhairis' eyes went as wide as saucers and gasped _"King Alistair!"_ as she kneeled beside her Commander. Oghren and Anders remained standing, neither were under any obligation to kneel before the Fereldan Monarch.

_"I wanted to give the Wardens a formal welcome."_ Alistair explained._ "I certainly wasn't expecting this. What's the situation?"_

_"What darkspawn remained have fled, your Majesty. And the Wardens that arrived from Orlais have either been killed…or are missing."_ Varel explained dismally.

Alistair could scarecley believe his ears._ "Missing? As in taken by the darkspawn? Do they even do that?"_

_"I do not know, your Majesty. All I know is that we cannot account for all the Wardens that arrived here after the darkspawn attacked."_

_"I see. Well, at least the Hero of Ferelden is still with us. That's something, at least."_

_"After taking a hot bath in dragon fire it's going to take a lot more than a darkspawn ambush to put me in the dirt, Alistair."_ Aedan joked.

The king laughed at his former brother-in-arms rare attempt at humor. _"Don't think I don't know it."_ As quickly as Alistair's smile came it left as he sighed with sympathy. _"You have such the task ahead of you, Aedan. I wish I could help but, sadly, thanks to your intervention I have the whole rest of the country to look after."_

_"Hey!"_ Oghren barked. _"What am I? Chopped nug livers?"_

_"From the smell, that's not a bad guess."_ Anders answered, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

_"I came here to join the Grey Wardens! Now show me where that fancy cup of yours is. I'll gargle and spit!"_

_"You'd be most welcome to join the Order, Oghren."_ Aedan answered. _"As soon as you take a bath. With soap! That's non-negotiable!"_

_"Nah, fine!"_ The red-haired dwarf whined in defeat.

_"I…I suppose all are welcome within the Grey Wardens."_ Mhairi lamented.

_"Joining the Wardens, eh?"_ Anders commented. _"Well, good luck with that."_

The Knight-Captain in Alistair's retinue tromped forward as if she were on a mission. _"King Alistair! Beware! That man is a dangerous criminal!"_

_"Oh, the dwarf is a bit of an ass, but I wouldn't go that…."_

_"She means me."_ Anders informed with his head hung low.

_"This is an apostate my men were bringing in to face the Chantry's justice."_ The Templar explained angrily.

_"Oh, please. The things you people know of justice could barely fill a thimble."_ Anders smacked back. _"I'll just escape again, anyhow."_

_"Never!"_ The Templar growled. _"I will see hanged for what you've done here, murderer!"_

_"Murderer!?"_ Anders echoed in disbelief. _"But those Templars-! I-I didn't…oh, what's the use?"_ Anders hung his head in defeat and dismay.

_"It seems there's nothing more to say. Unless…you want to say something? Aedan?"_ Alistair asked insistently.

Aedan got the hint. _"I do. As Commander of the Grey I hereby invoke the Rite of Conscription and take this mage into our ranks and under my command."_

Rylock's eyes went wide with outrage. _"What!? Never!"_

_"I believe the Rite of Conscription is still valid under Fereldan law."_ Alistair reminded._ "I will allow it."_

_"If…if your Majesty thinks it is best."_ Rylock clenched her teeth in anger and defeat as she walked.

_"Aha! Way to go kid! Welcome aboard!"_ Oghren congratulated and smacked Anders on the back.

Anders could scarcely believe his luck. _"Me? A Grey Warden? I guess that'll work."_

_"Is that Templar she-bitch gonna be a problem?"_ Aedan asked the newly recruited mage.

_"Oh, Rylock's just being butt-hurt."_ Anders answered. _"She's been after me for years. I'm sure she'll find another hobby. Thanks by the way."_

Aedan smiled sardonically._ "Trust me, it was worth it to tweak the Chantry's nose."_

_"Well, if you've got everything under control, I guess I'll take my leave."_ Alistair finally informed with a hint of sadness in his voice.

_"I believe the estate has been secured, yes."_ Varel spoke. _"We have suffered heavy losses, but the darkspawn are gone and there are survivors."_ Varel's attention finally turned towards Aedan with an apologetic look on his face. _"Oh…pardon my poor manners, my lord. I am Varel, Seneschal of Vigil's Keep. And I am most grateful for your timely rescue. I will aid you in ruling Amaranthine."_

_"Good. Rulership was never on my list of personal goals."_ Aedan lamented.

Alistair gave Aedan a sympathetic look. _"You and me both, Aedan. But thanks to you, I have to rule over a whole kingdom."_

_"But not alone, right?"_ Aedan asked accusingly. _"Am I going insane? Or are you actually going through with marrying Anora?"_

Alistair planted his face into his hand and rubbed his temples. He knew this headache was coming. _"Aedan, your sanity was always questionable, so it stands to reason that what you heard is correct."_

Aedan felt the veins in his head bulging out again. _"I'm sorry Alistair, but have you been spoon feeding yourself a hearty helping of stupid for breakfast every morning!? That bitch sold us out to save her own scrawny ass! Twice! Don't you realize that if you tie the knot with her she's going to strangle you to death with it!?"_

_"Well, incase your memory is failing, along with your sanity, you're the one who convinced me to marry her in the first place."_ Alistair reminded vehemently. _"And I don't know about you, but I take my promises seriously. Especially when they're so…crucial."_

_"It wouldn't need to be so crucial if you'd have just executed her right after I was done with her traitorous father."_ Aedan spat on the ground as if just talking about Loghain left a bad taste in his mouth.

_"That might work for you when we're at war and you're killing everything that looks at you wrong, but now that we're not at war this country needs stability if it's going to rebuild."_ Alistair explained. _"You of all people should know that. There are still those who were loyal to Loghain and those who question my legitimacy. Having Anora around will help prevent the civil war from continuing."_

_"Let me guess: Eamon told you that?"_

_"Yes. Well, him too, but you're the one who told me it first when you were talking about marriage arrangements with her behind my back. Remember?!" _Alistair was still getting used to speaking to peaople with authority._ "And for obvious reasons I want you to stay away from her as much as posible_

Aedan had been so pissed off with Anora he completely forgot that it was him who arranged for the two to get married based on the logic Alistair was spewing at him. Sometimes being right about something really sucked. _"Well, good luck on the honeymoon, Alistair."_

_"Oh, that should be interesting. Thanks, by the way. I needed more anxiety. Changing back to the subject at hand."_ Alistair tried to breathe the anxiety out of his chest as he mentally pictured what might happen during such a…intimate event. The king's tone and face became serious._ "It is up to you to rebuild the Order and deal with the vestiges of the Blight as well as handling the neccesties of the Arling. After what happened here I have no doubt it will be a trying task. But if anyone can do it I know you can Aedan."_

Aedan returned his king's serious gaze. _"Alistair, the darkspawn are not returing to the Deep Roads like they're supposed to after a Blight has been ended. This goes against everything we know about them. Something very sinister is going here."_ Aedan decided it was best not to tell his king about the talking darkspawn until had something to say about it.

_"Since when have things ever been easy for men like us?"_ Alistair asked. The king saluted his former brother and turned towards his entourage and began their march back to the capital. _"Good luck, Commander! And since I won't be there I'll pray the Maker is with you."_

_"I didn't see or need His help during the Blight."_ Aedan reminded. _"I doubt He's gonna show up now when the hard work's been done."_

Aedan and the others showed up in the Keep's throne room to discuss the situation. _"To business, then"_ Varel stated. _"Nearly all the Warden's who arrived from Orlais were either captured or killed. Along with many of our men at arms who were posted here."_

_"Nearly all the Wardens?"_ Aedan repeated.

_"Yes. Right now I know of only one other in Ferelden. As to whether or not he is alive, I cannot say."_

Aedan grunted through his nostrils in annoyance. _"I am supposed to be rebuilding the entire Order in this fucking country and the First Warden sends me only a dozen? To deal with the mess the Blight left behind!? I need a goddamn army!"_

_"It took only two Grey Wardens to end a civil war and a Blight."_ Varel chuckled. _"A dozen is extravagant."_

_"Not extravagant enough, Varel. Seeing as how they were all killed."_ Aedan shot down.

_"And to that end we should proceed with the Joining Ritual."_ The seneschal advised dourly.

Aedan sighed grimly as he remembered his own Joining. It still made feelings of anger and betrayal erupt in his heart. He would not do the same to his own recruits. _"Listen to me, all of you. I'm not going to hide it; the ritual in becoming a Warden can kill you. Horribly. And if you do survive, the probability of which is fifty/fifty, you will never be the same again. You will live and die at your post."_

Mhairi stood at attention, her face unflinching. _"I am not afraid. Commander. As far I'm concerned, the only honor greater than dying for my country is continuing to serve, no matter what."_ Her words filled Aedan with a sense of patriotic pride.

_"It's either this or be executed by Templars, or even be made Tranquil."_ Anders shrugged. _"I'll take my chances with your ritual."_

_"Bah! After what I've seen in the Deep Roads and in Denerim, I ain't scared of dyin'."_ Oghren bragged. _"Let's get it over with!"_

_"So be it."_ Aedan acknowledged. _"Varel, get the components."_

The seneschal gathered the bleak ingredients for the dark ritual to become a Grey Warden. The blood of the darkspawn that had been slain in these very halls and the blood of the Old God Urthemiel, both mixed together in a gilded chalice bearing the insignia of the Order of The Grey. _"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice shall not be forgotten. And know that one day we shall join you."_ Varel recited as he passed the goblet to the recruits. The first to take it was Oghren.

The dwarven warrior looked at the cup as though it were insulting him. _"What is this, the sampler size?! You tryin' to say somethin' about my heighth? Huh!?"_

_"Er…this is the goblet the Order's always used."_ Varel answered.

_"Really? Bah!"_ Oghren put the goblet to his lips and quaffed deeply of the vile contents. The dwarf's eyes went deathly pale as the taint entered his body but Oghren didn't fall down and black out like Aedan did during his Joining. Instead he just stood there and smacked his lips, as if here testing the vintage of a new drink and belched unnaturally loud._ "Hmm. Not bad."_ Aedan didn't know whether to be impressed or terrified.

_"Oh, Maker help us all."_ Varel groaned.

He passed the goblet to Anders who was much less thrilled than Oghren to have it in his hands. _"Darkspawn blood, huh? That's how you become a Grey Warden?"_

_"The only way to be a Grey Warden."_ Varel answered.

_"Well, alright. But if I wake up next week with a tattoo on my face on a ship bound for Rivain, I'm blaming you."_ The mage joked._ "Bottoms up."_ After a brief moment of mental preparation Anders finally drank the blood. His eyes went blank and fell to the floor with a thud.

_"He's still breathing, Commander. Thank the Maker."_

And finally, Varel passed the goblet to Ser Mhairi. She didn't question, flinch or hesitate. Mhairi dutifully took the goblet from Varel's hands and placed it to her lips. _"For Ferelden."_ She whispered and finally drank deep. Mhairi fell back to the ground, the darkspawn blood spewing from her mouth as she convulsed teribbly. Then she became very still as her breath left her body and finally died.

Aedan knelt and bowed his head to the brave knight who died attempting to serve their beloved homeland. _"May your god look kindly on you, Ser Mhairi, knight and soldier of Ferelden."_ He whispered as he closed her eyes.

_"I'll see to it she receives the proper honors, Commander."_ Varel informed sadly.

A few hours later Anders finally awoke and the Chantry sisters came and took Mhairi's body to receive the proper rites with the rest of the soldiers who died defending Vigil's Keep. Aedan looked down at the courtyard as the servants of the Chantry made the bodies ready for their ritualistic cremation. He wondered if the any of the priests down there truly knew the value of the souls who died defending this castle, or if they were just spouting empty words reserved for times of death.

_"I am sorry about Mhairi, Commander."_ Varel apologized sadly.

_"So am I."_ Aedan admitted. _"We can best honor her by doing our duty. What can you tell me about the attack on this castle and this lone Grey Warden?"_

Before Varel could answer the doors to the hall bursted open as two people strutted into the throne room. One an armored soldier of a veteran age with sandy-blonde hair carrying a greatsword and the other an old woman with hardened features and looked like she spent most of her life chopping wood and carrying stone. Both of them bickered like cats and dogs.

_"The Commander needs to know about what those hunters found, woman!"_ The knight barked. _"What those hunters found could be crucial to the arling's survival. We can't ignore the possibility of another attack."_

_"You'd have the Commander chase a rumor, captain?"_ the old woman asked in a thick, foreign accent Aedan had never heard before. _"Trade must flow if this arling's to survive. Soldiers can't march by living off of boot leather."_

Varel sighed in exhaustion as he rubbed his temples. _"Commander Aedan, this is Captain Garavel, head of the Keep's soldiers. And this is Mistress Woolsey, head of the castles treasurey."_

Before either of them could badger Aedan about their perceived important business, Aedan raised his hand for them to halt. _"Before anyone bothers me about anything, the first order of business I must address is bolstering the number of Wardens I need to have at my disposal."_

_"Well, there is someone we could 'recruit', my lord."_ Varel answered. _"A few nights ago a thief broke into the castle and tried to make off with a few treasures Howe left behind."_

_"Look Varel, I know I said I need more people, but I'm need more than just a random thief in the night."_

_"Oh, I don't believe this man was a common thief. He fought with far too much skill and training to be just that. It took three Wardens to finally apprehend him. Half joking they said he'd make a good recruit. I think we should follow that advice."_

It was sound advice. Provided of course one could trust the word of a thief._ "Take me to the cells."_

_"At once, my lord."_

Aedan, Varel and the two newly made Wardens made their way to the holding cells not too far from the courtyard. Knowing Howe, Aedan was very surprised to see that the walls and bars were extremely secure and the cells were as confined as an anchovie can. _"Show me the prisoner."_ Aedan ordered the gaoler.

The jailer took him over to the only occupied cell where the thief was squatting on the floor. The thief glared at the Commander with a familiar hatred in his eyes, and Aedan couldn't help but think how familiar this man looked. He reminded him of someone he...hated. A lot.

_"This one's been locked up for three days now."_ The guard explained. _"I'd say he was just a thief but it took three Grey Wardens to capture him. Good men died while he was safe in his cell."_

_"Leave us."_ Aedan ordered. Varel and the others obeyed, leaving Aedan and his fellows alone with the hateful looking prisoner.

Once they were alone the prisoner got to his feet and got a good look at Aedan, his hateful glare never leaving his face. _"If it isn't the great hero. Conqueror of the Blight and vanquisher of all evil."_ The man mocked in voice that sounded like gravel being scraped. His accent was definetly Fereldan but there was a twinge of Free Marches in his voice. _"Aren't you supposed to be ten feet tall with lightening bolts shooting out of your eyes?"_

_"Obviously you haven't been in the country very long if you don't know my actual reputation."_ Aedan stated.

_"Oh, but your reputation does proceed you, Cousland."_ The thief answered hatefully. _"I know you best as the man who murdered my father!"_

_"It is possible. I murder people on a regular basis."_ Aedan responded blithely. _"It's in my job description."_

The thief gritted his teeth and growled in anger. _"I am Nathaniel Howe! My father ruled these lands before you showed up. Do you even remember my father!?"_

That was what was so hatefully familiar. Aside from his black hair and lighter features and the soul-patch on his chin, Nathaniel looked almost just like his father. Nathaniel was a bit older than Aedan, he barely remembered Howe's oldest son. _"I remember your father screaming like a little bitch when I slaughtered him for murdering my family!"_

_"Your family was going to sell us out to the Orlesians!"_ Nathaniel argued.

_"And I suppose your daddy told you that?"_

_"How could he? A Grey Warden stole into his estate and slaughtered him before I ever got the chance to see him! I cam here because…because I thought I was going to kill you. To lay a trap for you."_ Nathaniel confessed, his face and tone becoming more emotional. _"But then I realized that I just wanted to reclaim some of my family's treasures. They're all we have left."_

Aedan was not moved by Nathaniel's words. His hand silently reached for his knife as he suddenly started feeling very hungry. He wondered if Nathaniel's blood would taste like his father's._ "How involved were you with your father's crimes, Nathaniel?"_

_"What? I wasn't involved at all!"_ Nathaniel denied._ "I was squired in the Free Marches."_ Aedan's hand was still on his knife, ready to remove some of the Howe's vital organs. _"Look, I don't know what happened to the Couslands, but it sounds like it was horrible. The whole war was."_

_"Says the little putz who didn't even fight in the war."_ Aedan saw his words hurt Nathaniel. Good. _"Did you think you or anyone from your wretched family could just waltz back here and be welcomed with open arms after everything your father did?"_

_"The Howes have served Ferelden for six hundred years!"_ Nathaniel defended. _"My ancestors fought for King Calenhad. Whatever my father did it shouldn't harm my whole family!"_

_"Why shouldn't it? Everything your father did destroyed whole families!"_ Aedan spat.

_"The Howes are pariahs now, those of us left."_ Nathaniel deplored. _"And now here I am at the mercy of my father's killer. How ironic."_

Everything inside Aedan told him that he should just kill this would-be assassin. Just butcher the son of his most hated enemy. Rip out his heart and eat it just like he did his father. But…something else stayed his hand. Aedan's sense of duty superceeded his need to kill. But barely. Aedan's hand finally left his knife, perhaps he could fulfill his sense of duty and need for vengeance at the same time. _"And just how was the scion of a failed house going to kill me?"_

_"I am not without skills."_ Nathaniel answered. _"My time abroad wasn't spent drinking wine and chasing skirts."_

_"What skills could a Howe possible possess?"_ Aedan asked mockingly.

_"Archery, tracking, poison."_ Nathaniel listed. _"The Couslands aren't the only ones who train for war."_

_"Is that so?"_ Aedan with his face up in Nathaniel's.

_"That is so."_ Nathaniel met Aedan's glare through the bars.

_"Hrmph. I've decided what I'm going to do to you, Howe."_ Aedan said forebodingly.

_"Already? Good."_

Aedan summoned Varel back into the holding cells. _"I see you've spoken to our guest. Has he said anything worth saying?"_

_"Did you know he was Nathaniel Howe?"_ Aedan asked his seneschal.

_"A Howe?"_ Varel sighed incensed. _"The Howe's are implacable enemies, my lord. You know this better than most. Have you decided what to do with him?"_

_"Yes."_ Aedan answered grimly. _"I hereby conscript this prisoner into the Order of The Grey."_

That caught both the prisoner and the seneschal off guard. _"I'm sorry, Commander. Conscript the prisoner?"_

_"No!"_ Nathaniel rejected. _"Absolutley not! Hang me first!"_

_"I didn't say I was giving you a choice, Nathaniel!"_ Aedan snapped. _"You're either going to die in agonizing pain going through the Joining Ritual, or the last son of House Howe is going to spend the rest of his life serving House Cousland. Either way, your sorry ass belongs to me!"_

Nathaniel's hands were tied. _"It seems I have no choice."_

_"I'll make the preparations, Commander."_ Varel left the room as the guard unlocked Nathaniel's cell.

Once again in the same day the Joining was to be under taken. Aedan would be lying if he said that he didn't want to see Nathaniel choke on the darkspawn blood and watch as the final scion of his family's murderer's house fade into hated obscurity. Nathaniel took the goblet into his hands and exhaled sharply. _"The moment of truth."_ He whispered as brought it too his lips. Nathaniel drank deeply of the blood and stood firm as the Blight coursed through his veins, and finally collapsed.

Varel checked Nathaniel's pulse. _"He lives. The Howe is resilient, I'll give him that."_

After a few minutes Nathaniel finally woke from his tainted dream and stood. _"I'm still alive? The Maker has a sense of humor it seems. So what now?"_

Aedan looked at the newly made Warden grimly. _"First thing I'd do is get that bruise looked at after you wake up."_

Nathaniel quirked an eyebrow. What was he talking about? _"What bruise?"_

Aedan fist swiped across Nathaniel's face with blinding speed and a loud smack. Nathaniel spun around twice as he fell to the ground completely out cold, with fist-shaped bruise on his cheek._ "Welcome to the Grey Wardens…brother."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>So After a two month break I've decided to continue Aedan Cousland's story I'll try to update regularly but no promises. Please review and tell me what you think.<em>**

**_Dragon Age and all of its characters are the property of BioWare. I own nothing._**


	2. Of Castles, Courtrooms and Conspiracies

**Of Castles, Courtrooms and Conspiracies**

Nathaniel woke up from his cot with a throbbing headache. He rubbed his jaw where the Commander smashed his fist. Judging from the sound it made when his fist connected Nathaniel was surprised that his jaw wasn't shattered. He was more disappointed than surprised that he survived the Joining. Instead of avenging his family he was now in servitude to his father's murderer. The Maker was cruel indeed.

"_Oh, look! You're finally awake!"_ A sarcastic voice rang. It was that mage, Anders. _"On your feet for about five seconds before the Commander knocks you flat on your ass again."_

"_What are your doing here, mage?"_ Nathaniel questioned as he got off his mattress.

"_Healing your surly face, actually. You're welcome by the way."_

Healing his face? _"How badly was I injured?"_

"_Oh, well, this may come as a surprise to you, but Commander Aedan is really good at hitting people. I mean, if the minstrels are to be believed, he did bitch-slap the Archdemon to death."_ The mage joked.

"_Anders…"_ Nathaniel warned.

"_Oh, fine."_ Anders sighed. _"He completely shattered your right jaw, broke six teeth and your cheek. Oh, and you had a severe concussion. It took me three hours to completely heal you."_

Nathaniel had heard of some of the things the Hero of Ferelden was capable of. Given Aedan's incredible and terrifying reputation he supposed her should be grateful that the damage he received wasn't more critical.

"_Apparently our fearless leader took exception to you insulting his dead family to his face."_ Anders continued. _"Hence you kissing the giving end of his fist. Aha-haha!"_ Anders' laughter died when Nathaniel glared poisoned daggers at him. Anders promptly left the surly, former nobleman to sulk by himself.

Nathaniel took a moment to ponder his situation. He came here to kill the Commander, to avenge his father's death, only to back out of it at the last minute and be reduced to a thief. Is this how low the mighty House Howe has been reduced? His brother was killed in the fighting and he didn't even know if his sister was even alive. And now he was bound to the very Order that murdered his father. Nathaniel stood there as a wave of melancholy washed over him. If he was going to serve this Order, he would serve it with distinguishment. No son of his house could do any less.

**~XoXoXo~**

Anders really couldn't believe the series of fortunate events that have fallen on him. After spending a life time practically imprisoned in the Circle, running away from the Circle and always being dragged back to the Circle. It sort of became his routine in life, but after this last attempt it seemed Knight-Liutenant Rylock was tired of playing and just decided to have his head and be done with it. But thanks to the Commander's evident joy in spitting in the face of Chantry law, he gets to keep his head a little while longer. That is until a darkspawn knocks his head off or an ogre flattens him, there's always a down side to everything. Still, at least amongst the Grey Wardens he won't locked away or made Tranquil simply for using his Maker-gived gift. In fact, with the Grey Wardens Anders could finally stop holding back and maybe use his magic to do something good for once. After all, Andraste said "Magic is to serve man" and what better way than by serving with the Grey Wardens?

The only thing that Vigil's Keep lacked that the Circle always had an abundance of was lots and lots of pretty women. In the Circle tower whether it was the Templars of the mages, you could always find a pretty lass in a skirt, and the air of taboo desire just made the air sizzle. Here the only thing that hung in the air was the fear of constant death and the stench that came off that smelly dwarf. Oh, well. Take the bad with the good. He was sure there was probably no end of the line of women who would throw themselves at him as thanks for being a Grey Warden.

**~XoXoXo~**

And here he was at long sodding last. Oghren Kondrat, Grey Warden. Stone, but that sounded good! Oghren hadn't felt this way in forever. Not since before he married Branka. Back then being a member of the Warrior Caste meant something, then he became nothing more but the abandoned spouse of crazy nug-licker of a madwoman. But here, here on the surface, as a Grey Warden, he finally found that sense of self-respect he'd been missing and he'd get to do what he does best; killing everything that needs killing. Sod, this was a good day.

The only thing that made this day better was the fact that he'd get to fight alongside Aedan Cousland. Sod, he still remembered when that walking human-apacolypse laid waste to every blighter in Denerim, not to mention when he planted that starmetal sword into the Archdemon's skull. Damn, that was a fight worth killing in! Oghren was glad to see that all that fame and adulation hadn't made Aedan soft. But still there was something different about the new Commander. When the Howe boy started talking smach about Aedan's family Oghren was sure Aedan was going to rip his head off and put it on a pole, or something like that. And there was something else, some kind of change in Aedan that Oghren could feel in his gut. Or maybe that was just sobriety and those beans starting to rear their ugly heads. Oghren chugged down another mug full of that Chasind Sack Mead and went to see if he could find his new boss.

**~XoXoXo~**

Aedan stood in the court yard of the Keep as the laborers set to work on the repairs and the soldiers stood their post, and the healers tended the wounded. As he stood there, gazing upon the walls, ramparts and defenses that held this fortress up. Aedan was thouroughly unimpressed. In fact, he was pretty pissed. The walls were crumbling piece by piece, the ramparts were chipped away and practically useless, and the defenses hadn't maintained in what looked like decades. How could Rendon Howe ignore his own stronghold? Aedan leaned up against a corner of the wall to rest, just a little, from such a dreadful day, only to fall flat on the ground with pieces of rock fall on him. The wall crumbled beneath his weight.

What the fuck!? The corner he leaned on looked like an ogre had swiped it fist against it. Aedan couldn't believe this bullshit! His limited patience had reached its end. In a fit of outrage Aedan smashed his fists against the wall like it was an enemy, and when the bricks were dust he stomped on them.

"_Problems, Commander?"_ asked a voice like gravel being scraped.

Aedan turned around and saw the now fully recovered Nathaniel standing behind him, Anders did a good job of repairing his face. Now Aedan had someone else to direct his anger at. _"Your fucking father owned one of the oldest, most defensible, important fortresses in all of Ferelden…__**AND HE LET IT ROT!**__"_ Aedan smashed his fist against the wall again, the impact of the force knocked down what was left of the wall.

"_Thanks, Commander. I was actually thinking about talking that wall down entirely."_ Said an unfamiliar voice. _"You just made my job a little easier."_

Nathaniel and Aedan's attention was drawn to a dwarven man standing a few paces away from them, it seemed he was admiring Aedan's ability to destroy shoddy masonry. The dwarf appeared to be in his mid-thirties with brown hair tied into a braid. His sideburns extended down to his beard which was tied into several knots and a knotted goatee. Judging from his intricately designed facial hair and his accent, Aedan guessed that he was not a Surface Dwarf but an immigrant from Orzammar.

"_And you are…?"_ Aedan inquired.

"_Voldrik Glavanok, at your service, Commander."_ The dwarf picked up one of the shattered bricks and crumbled it in his hands. He shook his head in utter disappointment. _"So this is human construction. My brother said you'd need a stone mason, but he didn't know the half of it."_

"_Oh, so you noticed? Here I thought I was just being touchy about the quality of this crap-shack I'm forced to defend an entire arling from."_ Aedan said disparagingly.

"_Well, the darkspawn did a number on your keep when the invaded, but I suspect that this castle was crumbling long before they even got here."_ Voldrik sprinkled the stone dust out of his hand and directed his attention to Aedan with a serious look in his eyes. "_These walls will not hold against another siege, Commander. If we're going to survive another onslaught like the one that just happened I need to set to work on this castle immediately."_

Aedan couldn't deny Voldrik's logic. If the darkspawn come back he wasn't sure they'd survive an actual siege against them_. "What do you require?"_

The dwarf sighed deeply. _"I need skilled laborers to place in new bricks and lay down the mortar if these walls are to withstand another if not bigger assault. To do that I'll need resources."_

"_By 'resources' you mean money."_ Aedan surmised. _"How much are we talking?"_

"_At least eighty sovereigns worth."_ Voldrik answered.

"_I can part with a hundred. Speak with the seneschal about getting the money from my personal account in the Denerim bank. This had better be worth it."_

"_It will be."_ Voldrik assured. _"I'll set my men to work right away."_

Aedan watched as Voldrik walked over towards the forge and spoke with another dwarf. This one had a twitch strange about him, like he was full of pent up anxiety and anticipation. If it wasn't for the crazed look in his eyes Aedan would have thought he just needed to get laid, instead he had that look of mania and addiction, like he was obsessed over something. After a second Aedan realized this was that crazy dwarf who egged those dwarkspawn into some kind of trap, using explosives Aedan had never seen before. As Voldrik spoke with this other dwarf Aedan couldn't help but notice that they looked a lot alike. Save for the crazy-looking dwarf's cornrows, burn-patch skin and missing eyebrows the two looked close in enough to be brothers. Perhaps they were? Aedan decided to confirm it.

"_You arranged quiet the welcoming party for us, Commander!"_ The manic dwarf boomed excitedly_. "Not that I mind; it gave me a chance to test my latest batch of boomsticks. The name's Dworkin Glavanok, some call me 'Dworkin the Mad' but that don't ruffle my beard, though. Gotta be a little mad in my line of work."_

"_I'm curious; what is a stone mason and a mad sapper from Orzammar doing here?"_

"_King Bhelen was a contentious choice, but he's good to his allies."_ Dworkin answered. _"The king figured the least he could do is send a couple of crazy dwarves your way. My brother and I got special permission to join you on the surface."_

"_I saw what your bombs did to those darkspawn in the courtyard." _Aedan admitted.

"_Oh? Kind of you to notice. I actually cleared out my whole store clearing those darkspawn out."_

"_So you're the one who invented this explosives?"_ Aedan had to admit that was impressive.

"_I…developed this particular formula, but it the sodding qunari who perfected the art."_ Judging from the look on Dworkin's face Aedan would have thought some shoved a stick up his butt_. "That just gets right in my craw. Sullen ashen-skinned giants shouldn't be allowed to outsmart dwarves."_

"_Judging from your singed eyebrows and the burn scars on your hands, I'm guessing this is dangerous research."_

"_Aye, and that it is."_ The dwarf admitted sadly. _"Lost a cousin to it, and some apprentices. But if I can make a stable formula it can help us put a massive hurt on the darkspawn, maybe even take back a few thaigs."_ The madness in Dworkin's eyes left and was replaced by a look of hope, a dream he wanted to come true. _"Say, since you're probably gonna be goin' around the arling, ya think ya could give me a helping hand? If you come across any lyrium sand I could make enough that'd make the Archdemon shit himself."_

"_Commander!"_ Voldrik barked. _"Before you let my brother blow himself to little bitsies, tell him to be careful!"_

"_Don't listen to Voldrik."_ Dworkin insisted. _"I know what I'm about."_

"_And how many apprentices have you lost? Three? No, four?"_

"_We all know the risks. If I'm successful our names will go down in history. I may even become a Paragon."_

"_The nugs will fly and brontos'll sing and dance before that happens, brother."_

Aedan thought for a moment about what those dwarven lyrium-bombs could do. The pounding boom of thunder shaking the ground being drowned out by the painfull shrills and dying screams of agony. Severed limbs and torn flesh and splintered bones flying in the air. And all the while drifting through the air would be the acrid, horrendeous, addictive stench of blood and burning flesh and hair. Just the thought of all that gore and destruction that could be inflicted was just too good for Aedan to let slip by. _"Dworkin, if I find you enough lyrium sand, I want bombs that can invade the Golden City and make the Maker shit himself."_

"_Ha-ha! You got a deal, Commander!"_ Dworkin set back to work on his less spectacular bombs and grenades.

**~XoXoXo~**

Aedan noticed Anders finally out and about without care in courtyard. He seemed to be taking to being a Grey Warden rather well. But considering that Anders repeatedly fled from the Circle, Aedan wondered how long it would be until Anders decided he was tired of the Wardens. Aedan approached the mage as he stood admiring a statue of the Divine Lady Andraste.

Anders wolf-whistled as he admired the detailed sculpture of the theological figure. "Was Andraste really that much of a looker? Don't you think she'd be, I don't know, a barbarian?"

Aedan glaced at the statue with pure disdain and disinterest. This statue had been built and left here since the Orlesian Occupation. _"Piece of Chantry propaganda and Orlesian bullshit. At least in this country we portray her with a sword in her hand. Everything else is Chantry lies veiled with Orlesian hypocrisy."_

Anders didn't expect that. _"Wasn't expecting that from you. Didn't you discover Her sacred ashes? I would have figured you for a believer."_

"_A common and idiotic mistake."_ Aedan said sternly. _"I believe Andraste was real. I believe Andraste's victories were real. And I know that ultimately, Andraste failed. Betrayed by her husband and burned at the stake by her enemies. I don't revere failures. Her god is a lie."_

"_So by that logic you think everything the Chantry does is wrong?"_ Anders admitted. "_What do you think she'd have thought about the Circle of Magi? I mean, I know she said that magic should serve man but that Chantry uses her words to leash and imprison us like criminals."_

Aedan thought for a second and gave the mage his own answer to that debated question. _"Despite what the Chantry spouts, Andraste fought a terrible war against a powerful empire because she was a slave. And the elves she fought with were slaves. Andraste fought for the freedom of those slaves and many people died for it. That is the only way a cause is won. Not by singing it to death, or getting on your knees and calling to some absent god for help. But by killing a lot of people."_

"_What, you're serious?"_

"_I'm as serious as the Blight, Anders."_ Aedan answered. _"In any cause worth fighting for, people on all sides have always been killed. King Maric and Loghain killed legions of people and many Fereldans died to secure our freedom. I killed hundreds of loyal, even honorable men and women who were only serving their lord. But I killed them, and I sleep very well at night, because I know what I was fighting for and made sure that my actions counted. That is how a cause is won, and the only question worth asking before and after it is done is 'can I stomach all the blood?'."_

Anders never really thought of it like that before. _"You think that's only way mages could get their freedom?"_

"_I don't fucking know."_ Aedan shrugged. _"Don't really care, either. I got enough shit to eat off my plate as it is without adding that to it. Personally, I think mages and Templars should be under the authority of the government, not something as biased and hypocritical as the Chantry."_

As the Commander left Anders alone with the well-carved Orlesian rendition of Andraste Anders couldn't help but ponder on his logic. It made a lot of sense. If Andraste were alive right now, would she fight to keep mages locked up or would she fight to free the oppressed? But what would it take to get the world to notice? Blow up a Chantry? Oh, well. He's not really one for fighting hopeless causes. And it's not like he was going anywhere soon. First thing was to see how his new life as a Warden would go.

**~XoXoXo~**

A guard approached the Commander. _"Commander, the lords and ladies of the arling are gathering to swear fealty to you. They will be here within the hour. Also, we've received a message for you from the Teryn of Highever."_

Aedan practically snatched the letter from the private and made his way to his private chambers, locking the door behind him when he arrived. Even after seeing that his brother was alive and well, and receiving his brother's forgiveness, Aedan was anxious when he received word from him. Aedan looked at the letter and knew that it was his brother judging from the fluid calligraphy and wording that could only be his brother's.

_My dearest little brother,_

_I have assumed the seat and title of Teryn of Highever, a big chair to sit in as I'm sure you know. It is…difficult being here again. The castle is so quiet with everyone gone. I sometimes think Oren and Oriana will come around the corner to hug me only to find nothing. I try not to think of them, but I can't help it. The people of Highever have been most kind and welcoming, many of them are happy to see a Cousland retuned to ruling over them._

_But enough about me, I wrote this message to speak of you. I know you, brother, and I know at this very moment you're probably thinking about how much you want to kill everything. About how much you don't want the mantle of a ruler or administrator. I know that you're thinking about how much you want to kill everyone who wronged our family. I admit that I feel the same thing at times. But then I remember that you and I are sons of House Cousland, and that our parents taught us how to be better men. Remember what our father taught us. That rulership is a responsibility and the duty of a leader is to serve his people. As leaders we must place the needs of our people before ourselves and I know that you are more than capable of performing such a duty. I know that you are our father's son._

_I will continue to pray for your continued success and safety, little brother. And I know you will continue to bring honor to our family name. No son of House Cousland can do any less._

_Sincerely and with all my love,_

_Your brother Fergus._

_PS: Dane is doing very well. I know you must miss him terribly and please be assured that I am seeing to his every need. The kennel masters all praise the care you have given him and thank you for allowing them to breed him, he's already sired two litters of puppies. The mabari population of Ferelden will be restored in no time._

Aedan put the letter down and sat on his chair, as he contemplated his brother's advice. Fergus was right. All Aedan could think about right now was finding out which of these oncoming lords betrayed their oaths and aided Howe in his takeover. But he knew that now was not the time for his own personal revenge, but to administer justice and provide protection to the people sworn to him. But that also meant crushing anyone who threatened to harm and take advantage of his people. And that was his favorite part.

Aedan looked down into the courtyard from his bedroom window and noticed all the lords, ladies and freeholders that were coming through the main gate. It was time for Aedan's least favorite part of being a noble; the pomp and ceremonial bullcrap. Aedan dressed in acceptable Fereldan noble garb and made his way downstairs to address his peers.

**~XoXoXo~**

Aedan and Nathaniel both arrived in the hall at the same time. Both tried to hide their mutual hostility towards one another, but they did poorly. _"Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth firmly shut."_ Nathaniel promised. _"Why don't I just hide in a corner, then?"_

"_All rise!"_ Varel commanded as Aedan entered the room. _"The Warden-Commander and liege-lord of all Amaranthine has entered."_

Aedan recognized some of these men and women. Many of them swore the same oaths of fealty to his father when he was recognized as their teryn. How many of them aided Howe in his heinous rise to power?

"_Commander, the lords and freeholders of Amaranthine have come to swear you fealty. These were Arl Rendon's vassals, now they are yours."_

"_If any of them had anything to do with my family's murder…."_ Aedan seethed.

"_Trust me, Rendon Howe was enough of a bastard to do that himself."_ Varel assured. _"But it is possible he had confederates. There's a lot of influence to be gained in a power vacuum. Some of these lords bore Rendon no love, but others had their prospects of wealth and power destroyed with his demise. They may still try to seize that power. Tread carefully, Commander."_

"_Who are the ones to be most wary of in this meeting?"_

"_That would be Bann Esmerelle and Lord Eddlebreck. Bann Esmerelle is the wealthiest in the room by far and rules the City of Amaranthine. Little loved but she can't be ignored. Eddlebreck rules the Ferevel Plains. Some view him as little more than a glorified farmer, but he's popular with the smallfolk."_

"_Thanks for the information Varel."_ Aedan sat down on the throne of Amaranthine that was built long before the birth and unification of King Calenhad. The seat felt foreign to him.

Varel turned to the nobles and addressed them_. "Bann Esmerelle, as is old custom, you have the honor of beginning."_

Bann Esmerelle was a shriveled prune of a woman who tried to hide her age and wrinkles behind expensive jewelry, and moved like she had a perpetual stick up her ass. _"I promise that I, Bann Esmeralle of Amaranthine, will be faithful to the arl in matters of life, limb, and earthly honor. Never will I bear arms against him or his heirs, so I swear in the sight of the Maker."_ If that oath of hers was genuine then Aedan was a Chantry brother. Aedan would be wary of her.

After Bann Esmerelle came Lord Eddlebreck and the various lords and freeholders, all swearing the same words. Some promises seemed more genuine than others. Aedan felt like he was swimming with sharks, but then, this is Fereldan politics. This isn't like Orlais where everyone is expected to kiss up to whatever ass was sitting in the big chair. In Ferelden if a lord was too weak, unfit or unpopular he risked his own people turning against him and placing someone more fit or popular in his place. In Fereldan a man proves his worth by action and deed; that is what his people honor. This might actually be fun.

After all the lords had sworn their oaths came the part where they would batter their new lord with petitions grievances and dealing with matters of local law. This is where Aedan had to establish his worth to his peers.

The first was Lord Eddlebreck. Eddlebreck was a balding man in his late forties with a peppered beard and sun-kissed skin from working his own fields. He bowed respectfully before making his request known. "_Honor to meet you, Lord Cousland. Last I saw you were on your way to Orlais. You come to us in desperate times."_

"_Not more about your precious farms, Eddlebreck."_ One of the lords whined.

"_Some in our arling don't have the security of city walls."_ Eddlebreck continued. _"Out on the plains the situation is dire!"_

"_My father called you a friend, Eddlebreck."_ Aedan remembered_. "Please, speak your mind."_

"_So you do remember me, young Aedan." _Eddlebreck smiled widely. _"Although, you're not young anymore. I swear to you and Andraste I had nothing to do with Howe's treachery, but I'm not here for that, I'm afraid. As we feast, the peasants on our lands or starving or worse."_

"_The city's defenses are more important, Eddlebreck."_ That same lord rebuffed.

"_There may be wheat in the silos now, but if the peasants die, where will you get your food?"_ Eddlebreck argued.

"_Don't let Eddlebreck's words deceive you, Commander. His livelihood is all he cares about."_ Bann Esmerelle declaimed with cool imperiousness as she strutted onto the floor like she owned it. _"Amaranthine is the jewel of the arling. She must be protected."_

"_Why protect the city over the people, Bann Emserelle?"_ Aedan inquired.

"_Pragmatism."_ The dried out noblewoman answered arrogantly_. "A farming hovel can be rebuilt with straw and mud. Amaranthine was built over generations, if it is destroyed the greatness of this arling will diminish."_

"_Wealth is well and good, but value do you place on human life, Esmerelle?"_ Eddlebreck argued. "_The folk in the country outnumber your city-dwellers many times over."_

"_I wouldn't be so vulgar as to violate the decorum of this event, Eddlebreck." _Esmerelled warned. _"I trust you will do the right thing, Commander."_

As much as Aedan hated to admit it, the bitch was right. This arling couldn't afford the loss of revenue or reconstruction if the city of Amaranthine fell, but he also couldn't ignore all the farmers and their families looking to him for protection. If they fell the death toll would be staggering. "I will send soldiers to protect both the city and the farmlands. If the farmlands fall, the people will be given protection and safe passage to the city and its walls."

"_Thank you, Commander."_ Eddlbreck sighed with relief_. "The people of the plains will be indebted to you."_

Bann Esmerelle groaned in disgust. _"Doesn't our beautiful city have enough peasants in it already?"_

With that bit of bullcrap done, Varel called in another matter of law for Aedan to address. Captain Garavel brought forth a woman in chains. She wore the uniform of a soldier and couldn't have been much older than Aedan. But judging from the look on Garavel's face, she must have done something terrible.

"_Next is a serious matter."_ The captain stated angrily. _"Danella, a soldier of the Vigil, abandoned her post and was caught three leagues away. She is charged with desertion. Even if we're not at war, the penalty is death."_

"_I asked the old captain several times to release me of my oath."_ Danella explained. _"The darkspawn threaten my family's farm."_

"_You dishonor everyone who serves the Vigil!"_ Garavel snapped. _"You think you're the only one with family who is being threatned?"_

"_The men are afire over this one, Commander." _Varel informed. _"Danella is a decorated and accomplished scout, but desertion could destroy the army."_

Desertion. That word rang in Aedan's mind like a bell as he remembered what happened at Ostagar. He had seen what desertion had done to men who actually stood their post. _"Danella,"_ Aedan growled. _"You abandoned your post in a time of conflict. You have shamed your uniform and everyone who wears it with your lack of honor! Good men die when others abandon their duty in a time of war. Just like at Ostagar. You should be taken out into the courtyard and have your head lopped off!"_ Aedan's words cut Danella like a knife. _"However, in light of your outstanding service, and the reasoning behind your desertion, I will forego the death penalty. You a hereby sentenced to a year in prison."_

Danella breathed a sigh of relief as Garavel's men took her away.

**~XoXoXo~**

Nathaniel couldn't believe the fickleness of these lords who were now bowing to the Commander. Like they had just forgotten the oaths they swore to his father. But then, what could be expected from capricious group of lickspittles? Half of these men and women and their predecessors willingly kissed up to Orlais when they invaded this country. It wasn't until King Maric started stinging up their peers and beheading their parents did half these nobles actually remember that this is Fereldan land. His great uncle, Byron Howe, died fighting in the Western Hills with King Maric and Teryn Loghain. How quick these people were to forget their oaths or even the meaning of loyalty. It seems Orlesian values rubbed off on them.

**~XoXoXo~**

The one good thing about being the shortest guy in the room was having the best view of all the fine asses in the room! There was enough rump roast here to feed all over Orzammar, Oghren could barely keep himself from drooling over it all. How easy would it be for him to just lift up those skirts get an eyeful of the heavenly, long legs? Dwarf legs are useless as accessories, but human and elven legs were like tasty-looking columns of pure sexy.

And the booze! These surfacers spared no expense to make their new commander feel welcome. Beer, wine, ale, schnapps, whiskey, it was every alcoholics dreamland here. Yeah, Ol' Oghren felt like this was him coming home. Being a Grey Warden was sodding great.

**~XoXoXo~**

Ah, the heady blend of self-importance, intrigue and the not so subtle air of sordid sex affairs. It was just like a meeting of the Fraternities of Magi. Anders even got a few naughty looks from some of the noble women. Who doesn't like the taste of taboo desire involving an apostate, and being a Grey Warden just made it all the more exciting.

While Anders walked about the floor of the mingling nobility, he caught a few interesting and dangerous words being whispered by some. Some of the gathered gentry were conspicuously huddling together around the wine table passing secret words to one another between sipping their beverages. Anders kept a safe distance from them, he couldn't see their faces from the way they were huddled but he was able make out a few words from them. Something, something, "Cannot be tolerated." Something, something, "Must be eliminated." Something, something, "All in agreement." Before giving them the chance to notice the apostate eavesdropping on the, Anders decided to warn the Commander.

This was definitely like secret meeting in the Circle. Trying to have secret meeting without the Templars noticing while trying to one-up on their fellow mages.

**~XoXoXo~**

Anders informed Aedan of what sounded like a conspiracy against his life. This wasn't unexpected, but it roused Aedan's anger nonetheless. Varel made several suggestion as to how Aedan should act. One of them was seeking out someone called "The Dark Wolf". Aedan was intimately familiar with the name, considering he was the real Dark Wolf, he earned the name when he harried and crippled Loghain's noble supporters. Aedan decided to seek out this pretender and see if he could live up to the reputation of the name. Regardless, Aedan would need to set an example to the other nobles. A sign of his strength.

The next matter Aedan had to deal with was a sensitive one, at least that's what Varel called it. Apparently there was a land dispute between Lady Liza Packton of Teryn's Down and Ser Darren. Land disputes were the beginings of almost every civil dispute in Fereldan history.

"_The old Arl made certain promises to me."_ Lady Liza explained. _"Several of these promises were committed to paper. I was given the rights to the revenues of the southern bridge."_

A young man a little older than Aedan with close-shaved beard and a ponytail entered the floor with an angry look in his eyes. _"And what part of Rendon's conspiracies did you play to get such a fruitful promise, eh, Liza? I am Ser Derren."_ The man introduced. _"The land she wants is mine and was built by my father. Taken from me because I was one of the few nobles who stood against Teryn Loghain."_

A delicate matter indeed. Ser Derren's support for Aedan's authority would be easily attained or easily shattered. Lady Liza on the other hand, is already known to have been supporter of Howe's and for all Aedan knew she was one of the conspirators that Anders warned him about. _"Show me these promisory papers, Liza."_ Lady Liza handed Aedan the notes eagerly. Indeed, the note did seem legitimate, but something caught Aedan's eye and his ire. The date and the seal. This paper was written not one month after the destruction at Ostagar and made with the seal of the Teryn of Highever. Aedan knew exactly what to do. _"This promisory note was made with authority and power Arl Howe had no right to. Any contract, promise or document sealed in his name for the past year was made unlawfully, therefore, all promises made by him are null and void!"_

Aedan shredded the document in his hands and threw it in the fire. Judging from the look on Lady Liza'a face, she was pissed.

A guard ran up to Aedan with a message. Whatever was written on it brought a vicious smile to Aedan's face that sent a shiver down Varel's spine. The look in the Commander's eyes was like a wolf ready to slaughter sheep. _"Lords and Ladies of Amaranthine."_ Aedan called. _"I thank you for your oaths and support, and as a son of Bryce Cousland, I will honor your words, but I must conclude this meeting in favor of my other duties. But before we adjourn, I beg you join me in the courtyard. I assure you it will be worth your time."_

Everyone, the nobles, the staff and even the Wardens followed Aedan out into the courtyard where a gang of at least twenty-five men were being dragged in by chains. Aedan stood in front of the men with a kind of demented joy. What was the meaning of this? Nathaniel and Anders didn't know what to expect, but Oghren knew in the back of his mind that they were all in for one helluva show.

"_Seneschal Varel,"_ Aedan called. _"What was the name of the man who had you imprisoned so that you would not inform Teryn Cousland of Howe's treachery?"_

"_Captain Lowan, Commander."_ Varel answered solemnly.

"_Can you point that man out to me?"_

Varel looked down amongst the dirty prisoners who looked like they were dragged through ten kinds of crap to get here. _"There, ser. That is Captain Lowan."_ Varel pointed to a grubby, thick-bearded man with a massive, clefted chin and sullen, sunken eyes. He had shoulders like a mountain and limbs like treetrunks, but his chest and legs were covered in scrape marks like he'd been dragged along the road here. _"He also arranged the unjust executions of the soldiers who refused to join in Rendon's treason."_

Aedan eyed the former captain with seething hatred. _"Captain Lowan, you and your men have been brought here to answer for the crime of treason. For betraying your oaths and turning your backs on the laws and values this country holds sacred. And treason is a crime against every man, woman and child who live in this kingdom. And such a heinous crime can only be answered with a heinous punishment."_

Aedan motioned for the gaurds to lock the former captain in the nearby stocks while the others forced his men to their knees. The Commander pulled out his hunting knife as he approached his first victim. The man struggled and resisted vainly as Aedan held his head in place and slowly carved his knife against the man's throat. From ear to ear. The man gurgled out his last breath, but Aedan was not finished. He pulled back the man's head, making the newly made hole in his neck open up. The sound of gurgling screams, flesh and muscle ripping, and vertebrae snapping, and the pathetic wailing and unanswered prayers and cries for mercy filled the entire air of the courtyard, making many of the nobles white with fear and disgust as Aedan ripped of each man's head with his bare hands and moved one to the next, and the next one. One. By One.

Aedan licked the blood off his face and savored the copperish flavor in his mouth as he tossed the last severed head into the pile behind him. All that was left was Captain Lowan. Aedan was going to savor this almost as much as he did killing Howe. Not quiet, but almost. After making him helplessly watch as Aedan slowly decapitated every single one of his men, Lowan was now standing in a puddle, and it wasn't because it was raining earlier.

Commander Aedan put the tip of his knife under the man's chin and forced him to look at him in the eyes. _"If you've got any final words to say before I send you to your god, say them now."_

_**"PLEASE, LORD COUSLAND!" **_The man bawled as he tried to avert his eyes from Aedan's hateful gaze. _"I was only following orders!"_ The captain sobbed like a baby as the puddle he was standing in got bigger.

"_You can tell that to my dead family."_ Aedan uttered hatefully. The Commander walked behind his bound victim as he struggled vainly to get out of the stocks, crying pitifully for mercy. Aedan remembered a certain ritual performed by the Avvarian tribesman, when they sacrificed their most hated enemies to The Lady of The Skies. He had never seen it, but Siobahn described it in great detail to him. Vigil's Keep was originally an Avvar stronghold, that made this so much more appropriate.

Aedan's razor sharp knife glided up then down both sides of Lowan's spine, the man's screams almost made Anders puke, but when Aedan peeled back the Lowan's flesh like an orange, revealing his bare ribs, white vertebrae and bleeding muscle and sinew, Anders did puke along with half the nobles. Aedan's hands grabbed Lowan's rib bones and snapped them backwards, filling the courtyard with a sickening wet crunch and agonizing howls of pain. Aedan looked down at Lowan's ripped open back and found his prize; the lungs. His hands dove in to the man's body like eagle talons and squeezed the last bit of air out of his body as he slowly pulled the wet organs out of his body and raised them above his head like a trophy for all to see, savoring the warm drops of blood that splashed down on his face. The Blood Eagle had been completed. If the Lady of The Skies existed, she would no doubt be pleased.

Aedan tossed the lungs into the pile of severed heads behind him as he looked to the now frightened and sickened nobles. _"Nobles of Amaranthine, thank you for your oaths of loyalty, I will forever honor this seat that's been bestowed to me. And know this: anyone who seeks to harm or betray our people, for malice or gain, I will destroy them, without mercy or hesitation."_

Nathaniel couldn't believe his eyes. He heard the stories but he didn't think one man, let alone someone who's been declared a hero, was capable of such horrid cruelty. Perhaps this man did deserve to die, but did he need to die like that? It made Nathaniel wonder how his father was killed.

It took a few minutes for Anders' stomach to stop doing backflips and projectile vomiting what was left of his breakfast. How in the name of Andraste's flaming tits was the Commander capable of doing that? Just the thought of doing that to another living being made him want to…Oh no. Anders puked out all that was left of his breakfast. No matter what the justification, Anders didn't think he'd ever be capable of killing so many people, no matter the reason or cause.

Ah. Now that was the Aedan Cousland that Oghren remembered. A vicious duster who doesn't put up with anyone else's crap. That Captain Lowan guy deserved it anyway. That should give this noble lot somethin' to think about. Aedan's the kind of guy you want to be friends with, but sweet sodding Stone, you don't want to be his enemy.

The nobles couldn't leave fast enough as Aedan made his exit from the courtyard. This would give the conspirators a moment of pause, and that would be just long enough for Aedan to plan his move of discovering and ultimately crushing them. However, first thing's first. He must deal with the immediate threat of the darkspawn.

Aedan gazed upon a map of the arling. It was made weak by Arl Howe's neglect and selfishness. He took all its resources, leaving the Vigil poor and vulnerable and the arling's economy was next to shit. Howe was far too blind to see the potential that Amaranthine had. They had the most prominent port in Northern Ferelden, access to the Waking Sea, The Free Marches and Antiva. Amaranthine could be so much more. Aedan made a solemn vow that he would make this arling rich. He would make it powerful. He would make it great. And he would destroy anyone and anything that threatened the people under his protection.

**Author's Note:**

Okay, first of all, sorry for the lack of extensive violence and fight scenes. I wanted to get the courtly crap out of the way. Writing a sequel is hard! I want to make this story as good as my last one, so I need to work twice as hard because Awakening wasn't as long or had as much character interaction as Origins. If you've got any suggestions feel free to tell me. Once again, I own nothing. Please review.


	3. WTF in the Wending Woods

**WTF in the Wending Woods**

A few hours after Aedan's brutal spectacle in the courtyard, he and the new Wardens set out to Amaranthine to seek out this Merchant Mervis that Mistress Woolsey had told them about. Apparently something was attacking the merchant caravans on the Pilgrim's path which completely halted all trade into the city of Amaranthine. Without fresh supplies from Denerim or the surrounding farms many people in the city were starving. They needed to find out who was plaguing them.

Discomfort wasn't strong enough for what Nathaniel was feeling as he followed after Aedan. The thought of walking with and fighting side-by-side with his father's killer after he confessed to wanting to assassinate him filled Nathaniel with a sense of self-loathing that he didn't know existed. He had heard from Grounds Keeper Samuel, who the Wardens saw fit to keep amongst their staff, that his sister was alive and was reduced to marrying some merchant in Amaranthine. If Delilah saw him now she'd probably be too ashamed to even claim him as family, and he wouldn't blame her. Maker, he really hated his life right now.

Oghren could sense the feeling of anger and disgust coming from Nathaniel. If this guy and he were going to be fighting side-by-side, it would be best to get to on his good side. Especially since this kid could probably put an arrow between his eyes from fifty paces. "So…you're Rendon Howe's little blighter, huh?"

"_That's one way of putting it."_ Nathaniel answered bitterly.

"They talked about you in the army. Fergus Cousland said you wouldn't have the stones to show your face here. But you proved him wrong. I respect that."

"_You do?"_ Oghren's admission caught Nathaniel off guard.

"_Yeah, throw caution to the wind and run head-first into danger. And sod the consequences. That's the only way to live!"_ Oghren declared as puffed his chest.

"_Thanks. I think?"_

"_Yeah!"_ Oghren laughed_. "Don't you give a piss what anyone else says. Oghren's got your back!"_

Amaranthine wasn't as large as Denerim, but it was just as wealthy and just as important. This city was a key point for traders and merchants to bring in their good to and from the Waking Sea and all the countries beyond Fereldan's borders and had extensive roads leading from its gates so that all the goods of Amaranthine could make it to the rest of the country. As a result the city was populated by the wealthy and the powerful, nobles and merchants that had wares and valuables to trade. Merchants weren't the only clientele of this city, however; Pilgrims from the Free Marches and Orlais would often make a journey by boat to come Amaranthine's port so that they could go to Denerim on the Pilgrims Path to make prayers at Andraste's Birthstone and because of that the Chantry of Our Lady Redeemer was particularly wealthy with pilgrims making generous…donations so that they may have safety and assurance to make it Denerim. So to keep the wealth of the city and its citizen's safe the Howes put a lot of time and effort into make this city a fortress of its own over the centuries. She was situated on a high hill with tall and powerful square walls with each corner leading to a battlement jutting forward from the city so that they would be the first to welcome any threat that threatened them. Since this city was a center of wealth the locals tended to be, more often than not, rather snooty about who passed through these walls. This city was especially coveted by the Orlesians when they occupied the kingdom and their lickspittles; whoever controls Amaranthine has the potential to rule the Waking Sea.

It had been almost ten years since Nathaniel had walked on the Pilgrim's Path. The road earned its name from the many pilgrims who walked from Amaranthine's ports to Denerim so that they may visit and pray before Andraste's Birth Stone. But thanks to the darkspawn there were no pious faithful walking the roads and making prayers, only despairing and destitute souls walking in droves to the protection of Amaranthine's walls in the desperate hope of escaping not only the darkspawn but the greedy wretches who plagued on what little the refugees had. This was not the Amaranthine Nathaniel remembered.

They finally arrived before the powerful city walls of Amaranthine. Mighty battlements and drum towers of granite built to withstand sieges from the sea and the land. Anders had heard of the beauty of Amaranthine, The Jewel of the North, but instead of feeling awe at the sight of the grand city, all he could feel was pity. All the refugees who came pouring in from all over the arling were packed in make-shift tents outside the very walls that should be protecting them, and what's more, all the recently severed heads that the Commander had just torn off were now decorating the gate over the entrance. Anders wished he could at least help some of the sick and injured.

Oghren couldn't help but feel sorry for all these homeless dusters. Most of them were farmers who wouldn't know which way to even swing an axe if a threat came their way. It was times like this that Oghren thanked the hardest Stone he could find that he was born a Warrior, because when death came these people's way all they can do is die screaming or fight pitifully. At least when death reared its ugly mug for him he could meet it standing on his feet with a weapon in his hand.

To say that Nathaniel's heart was breaking at seeing this once beautiful city being reduced to a refugee camp would have been a monumental understatement. For centuries the Howes had overseen and protected this city, and now his house was all but diminished and the luster of Amaranthine with them. Nathaniel's gut wrenched at the sight of the all the heads that were being mounted above the gates. An old and common practice used as punishment and warning to traitors. He supposed that his father was lucky enough not to have his head mounted up there like a common criminal. But it did make him wonder..._"Oghren, were you there when my father was killed?"_

Oghren's face grimaced at the very memory of the day when Aedan took his revenge. He could still remember the screams and smell of the dungeons they stood in. It was better if Howe Jr. didn't know the gory details_. "Don't go diggin' in the dirt for things laid to rest, son. It won't do ya any good. It'll just give ya nightmares."_

"_Whatever people say about him, he was still my father!"_ Nathaniel hissed_. "And I want to know if…if he suffered."_

"_I'm really not the person to ask."_ Oghren answered uncomfortably.

"_Very well, Oghren."_ Nathaniel sighed bleakly. _"Evade the question."_

"_Yes. He did. He did suffer."_ Aedan turned around and answered unapologetically. "_He died in horrible agony. After I broke his back on my knee, I ripped off half his face with my teeth,"_ Aedan pulled out his knife and waved it at Nathaniel, _"…and, with this knife right here, I carved the names of all my family members that he murdered. Then I split his guts open and ripped out his intestines and his stomach. Then finally I plunged my hand into his body, ripped out his heart and ate it in front of him before the life left his eyes." _Aedan's tone was indifferent and his cold gaze didn't break away from Nathaniel's. _"I hope that doesn't spoil your opinion of me."_ Aedan turned his back on Nathaniel and continued walking into the city.

Nathaniel was completely stunned. Not only did Aedan just confirm the stories that he partook in cannibalism, which Nathaniel didn't even believe at first, were true, but he said it as though it were nothing, as though his feelings or his father's life meant nothing. It took every bit of willpower Nathaniel had to not attack Aedan. He would not be baited into suicide. Right now they all needed to focus on the task at hand and find whatever was preventing the caravans from reaching the city.

Almost immediately after they passed through the city gates Nathaniel saw an elderly but matronly woman appeared out of nowhere and hugged Aedan. Nathaniel couldn't tell if the old woman was blind or senile to do such a thing. As Nathaniel got a better look at her, he noticed she was actually quite good looking for her age. She had no major wrinkles and her form was very shapely, with her silver hair tied into a sophisticated bun. She must have been quite the heartbreaker in her youth. Who was she to Aedan?

"_Oh, my dear friend, how wonderful it is to see you!"_ The old woman laughed.

Aedan smiled with genuine joy_. "Wynne! What are you doing here? I thought you and Shale were going to Tevinter?"_

"_I had to put our quest on hold, I'm afraid."_ Wynne answered with disappointment. _"The College of Magi is being called to meet in Cumberland. But when I heard that the new Warden-Commander was on his way to here I decided to wait a little longer."_

They made their way over to the Chantry and caught up with each other. Wynne had in fact traveled to Tevinter with Shale, but left her there with a trusted friend when she received word from the College of Magi. Apparently, tensions between the mages and the Chantry backed Templars was on the rise. In the Free Marches, Templars were being allowed a lot of political power while mages were still being treated as prisoners; this made the higher-ups in the Circle of Magi want to break away entirely from the Chantry. Aedan felt that would be the better course of action. The treatment of mages, as well as their use, should be left up to the government in which they reside, not a biased institution like the Chantry. But that wasn't his problem.

After what Anders and Nathaniel had seen back in Vigil's Keep, it was strange to see Aedan laugh and actually seem…happy without eviscerating or smashing someone's head in. After a while, Aedan felt he had been distracted enough and left to find Mervis, leaving the others at the Chantry to get any supplies they needed.

As they stood there, Nathaniel couldn't help but notice and lament the missing statue of his uncle, Byron Howe. Byron was a hero, both to his family and this arling, he died fighting against the Orlesians at the Battle of the West Hills.

"_Ha-ha, Wynne!"_ Oghren laughed boisterously. _"I see you still got those nice legs."_

"_And I see Aedan made you take a long-needed bath, Oghren."_ Without Oghren's hideously familiar odor, Wynne almost didn't recognize the dwarf. _"It is good to see that Aedan has progressed as a leader."_

"_I almost miss the ol' gang. 'Cept maybe for Sten, he never laughed at my jokes."_

"_I'm surprised either of you could stand the Commander's company." _Nathaniel interrupted with an undercurrent of distaste in voice. _"I don't see how anyone can stand being around such a savage."_

Anger flashed through Wynne's eyes as her hand flew across Nathaniel's cheek leaving behind a red mark and sharp sting. No one but Nathaniel's mother ever smacked him before.

"_Don't you dare presume to judge him!"_ Wynne scolded angrily. _"I know who you are Nathaniel Howe, and I saw the things your repulsive father did to the men and women who served Aedan's family. I may not agree with Aedan's vicious nature, but if anyone deserved to die it was your father. The better question to ask is how Aedan can stand to be around the son of his hated enemy."_

Nathaniel was quite stunned. He didn't think such a harmless old woman was capable of such venom. What was she talking about? What things did his father do? Surely it was just. It was war and he deposed the Couslands to keep them from selling out their country! But, then, why did he feel like Wynne was telling him the truth?

**~XoXoXo~**

Aedan met Mervis over at the docks, where he was overseeing what paltry amount of supplies he could bring from sea, and learned what exactly had stopped the caravans from making the trip to the city.

"_Warden Commander!"_ The merchant cried with relief and hope. _"Oh, thank Andraste you've come, I was worried that our message didn't get through."_

"_I was told that your caravan's are being attacked."_

"_Yes!"_ Mervis confirmed. _"It's gotten so bad that the Guild has been forced to try brining in supplies by sea, but it's just not enough. The Pilgrim's Path is so much easier."_

"_Tell me what has happened."_

"_Our caravans are being destroyed!"_ Mervis cried. _"Wagons have been burned to ashes, and there…there are no survivors. We're simple merchants is all, ser! The caravans weren't even armed! And now, people from the neighboring villages have found bodies ripped limb from limb in the town square."_

"_And you suspect darkspawn?"_

"_We don't know for certain. But whatever it is its completely crippled trade between Amaranthine and Denerim. No one will risk traveling through the Wending Wood."_

This couldn't be allowed to continue. With trade halted like this the city was unable to sustain the swell of inhabitants and refugees who came pouring through the gates. And if it was not dealt with soon, what soldiers were left would be forced to eat boot leather and would be too hungry to fight the darkspawn. _"I'll look into this immediately."_

"_Maker bless you, Commander."_ Mervis thanked. _"As a sign of thanks, if you can make the Wending Wood safe, the Merchant's Guild will make a sizable donation to the Wardens."_

With their goal clear, Aedan and his fellow Wardens left Mervis and prepared to leave for the Wending Wood. The docks were alarmingly busy. Not with merchants or ship hands unloading their merchandise from Northern Thedas, but with refugees selling what little they have left to pay for passage out of Ferelden. It filled Aedan with a sense of dread and disappointment that his own countrymen were fleeing their homeland for foreign soil. People were boarding ships to take them to the Free Marches, Antiva, and, to Aedan's disgust and displeasure, even Orlais. This could not be allowed to continue. Whatever was crippling the commerce of this city was about to have a really bad day.

**In the Wending Wood**

After gathering the necessary supplies and saying his fond farewells to Wynne, Aedan led his squad down the Pilgrim's Path that led to through the Wending Wood. The instant they entered Nathaniel and Aedan both sensed something was wrong with this forest. The trees, even the very air, was unnaturally still. Like all forms of life were scared to move. Smoke was rising above the leafless trees, was another caravan under attack?

They ran over to the site of the fires hoping to find survivors, only to find bandits looting the burning wagons and smoldering dead. This could not be tolerated. The bandits saw the intruders and drew their weapons. "We'll deal with these fools. Go tell the others!" One of the bandits ordered as another slipped off.

These were not trained men, but common garden variety bandits. Relying on numbers and aggression to fight. But these men were used to fighting unarmed peasants and merchants, not blooded warriors, and they charged the Grey Wardens like idiots.

These bandits were too used to merchants cowering instead of putting up a fight, not men who knew how to stand their ground. They charged and bunched together, not caring where their weapons were pointed. Aedan waited for the right moment, for them to get just close enough. And as soon as they were in range Aedan swung his axe in a powerful arc that tore straight through the bandits and their shoddy armor, splitting them horizontally at the chest.

Nathaniel deftly landed shot after shot into the bandits' eye sockets and hearts, while Anders threw fire from his staff and lit them like dry kindling. These guys were so easy to kill, that there was no way they could have been tearing apart the local militia.

Aedan advanced to kill himself another bandit when, out of nowhere, a boulder came flying over the treetop and landed right on top of the bandit and squashed him like a bug. Blood and guts splattered everywhere. Where the hell did that come from?

The one bandit who ran off suddenly came running back in a panic, followed by the sound of tree branches snapping, angry roars and thunderous footsteps. _"The trees've come to life! RUN!"_

He wasn't kidding! A massive, burning sylvan tromped through the foliage swinging a giant burning log at the bandits. With one powerful swing, the log smashed against several bandits and sent them flying, their bodies smashed into the nearby trees and boulders with a sickening crunch.

The sylvan looked to the Wardens, also intruding in on the forest and charged at them with alarming speed. Fortunately, they had a mage and a dwarf who was really good at swinging a really big hammer. Anders conjured a powerful freezing spell and froze the homicidal tree in its place and dousing the flames that had engulfed it. Oghren charged in and struck the frozen trunk-like legs and shattered it into a million pieces.

"_What the Stone was that!?"_ Oghren yelled angrily.

"_It was a sylvan."_ Aedan answered. These creatures were familiar to him. _"We crossed these creatures once before in the Brecilian Forest, Oghren. When we recruited the Dalish?"_

"_I remember."_ Oghren spat. _"But what the sod are they doin' tromping around here!?"_

Aedan looked over to Nathaniel. _"You know this forest better than any of us, Nathaniel. Does the Wending Wood have a history of magic or wandering spirits?"_

"_No, not really. Not since the days when the Tevinter Imperium ruled these lands."_ Nathaniel answered. _"The Avvar used to call this place home and they would perform rites to the god of this wood, Uvola I think its name was, but there's never been tales of possessed trees here."_

"_Strange." _Aedan pondered. _"If a tree is not possessed by wandering spirits, then the only thing that can awaken a spirit within the tree is Dalish magic."_

"_There are times when the Dalish will camp in these woods when they're passing by."_ Nathaniel confirmed. _"Though, I can't imagine why any of them would do this."_

"_Probably because someone pissed them off."_ Aedan answered dourly. _"And trust me, I know this from personal experience, there is little in this world that is more formidable than pissed off Dalish elves, with magic that only they have access to."_

Now there was a scary thought. An enemy that even Aedan was wary of. Still, there's yet to be an enemy Aedan would not fight, nor was there anything scarier or formidable than him when he was pissed off.

They traveled further into the forest where the caravans had been destroyed. Judging from how the earth was torn into and uprooted, and the amount of carnage laying around the forest floor, the sylvan had been here, obeying whatever force had manage to awaken them.

Another of the bandits came running out of the forest, screaming his head off like his worst nightmares were chasing him_. "Out of my way! The elf is coming! THE ELF IS COMING!"_ he screamed while bawling like a baby.

Aedan decided he didn't want to get out of the way and remembered how much he didn't like bandits. At all. So before the weeping outlaw could run past him, Aedan grabbed him by the neck and effortlessly lifted him in the air. The bandit was like a boned fish in the Hero of Ferelden's powerful grip.

On an out cropping overlooking them, giant roots shot out of the ground like twisting spires and left behind a woman. An elf. A Dalish Elf. Figures. She had sandy blonde hair tied into a wild knot and her vallaslin was violet and faint against her tanned skin. She also had a scowl on her face that peel the bark of a tree.

"_Another scavenger here to prey on the misfortune of others?"_ The elf asked rhetorically and with anger. _"I warn you, you will fare no better than your comrades have."_

"_If this motherless shit-sack was my comrade, do you really think I'd be wasting my time crushing his larynx?"_ Aedan asked sardonically as he broke the bandit's neck and threw him into a nearby precipice. _"I'm a Grey Warden."_

"_Ah, so you're here to battle the darkspawn, then? Very well."_ That arrogant look in her eye never left. _"The caravans are only the beginning. Tell the merchants to return my sister or more or…or more of their people will die! Tell them that this is justice! Give them this message, and consider this warning: if you get in my way I'll kill you like I did the others of your kind!"_ The roots shot up around her once more and quickly disappeared beneath the earth, taking her with them.

At first Aedan was just here doing his job with no real malice intended. But he'd be damned if he some uppity elven bitch who was murdering defenseless merchants tell him what to do. **"BITCH, I EAT PEOPLE!"**

Aedan could still feel the vein in his head throb from that insolent Dalish bitch, was she the reason why all these merchants were being slaughtered? He had to find out why.

The Wending Wood wasn't like the Brecilian Forest. The Wending Wood was spacious with rocky soil, crags, and high hills and cliffs. Generations before it was a source of silverite before the mines ran dry.

Nathaniel led them up to the hill were the Dalish had threatened them, hoping to find out more about her and why she had been attacking the caravans. All party members involved, including Aedan were surprised by how honed his tracking skills were. When they made it to the hill were the elf was, what they found was a strange sight; an abandoned elven camp.

"_Weird." _Oghren observed_. "Don't these Dalish elves travel in packs? Where's the rest of 'em?"_

"_I think they're over there."_ Anders pointed to a small group of burial mounds.

It would seem that the elf girl took the time bury her comrades before going on her rampage.

"_This is very strange."_ Pointed out Nathaniel.

"_How do you mean?"_ Aedan asked.

"_For starters look around, notice something out of place?"_

The Wardens looked about and noticed that there were Ferelden issued weapons were just lying around all over the ground. Like someone just picked them up and scattered them around.

"_What kind of an idiot just drops their weapons and leaves 'em?"_ Oghren inquired.

"_Exactly."_ Nathaniel confirmed. _"And look at their land-ships."_

"_What?"_ Anders asked apathetically_. "I don't see anything wrong with them."_

"_If these elves were attacked by humans their Aravels would have been ransacked for goods or burned."_ Aedan said as walked towards one of the graves.

"_Excuse me? Fearless Leader?"_ Anders asked nervously _"What are you doing?"_

"_I need to know how they were killed. Now don't just stand there, pick a grave and unearth it."_ Aedan commanded.

As Oghren and Anders began exhuming a body Nathaniel kept watch and started scouting a little bit more. After pulling out a dead body Aedan began to inspect them; one had a hole in his neck which suggested an arrow killed him, one a sword wound going through her back and the last had the back of his skull caved in.

"_Hmm, it would seem that these elves were killed in a surprise attack judging by their wounds."_ Aedan observed.

"_Not all of them."_ Nathaniel said gravelly. _"There are quite a few drag marks leading from this camp, suggesting that some of them were taken alive."_

"_Hey, remember what that scary elf said? Someone kidnapped her sister?"_ Anders recalled. _"Maybe whoever hit this place are the same people who attacked this clan."_

"_It's possible."_ Nathaniel nodded. _"But it wasn't the merchants. These drag marks lead over to an abandoned silverite mine just down this hill. The Merchant's wouldn't have the skills or weapons to launch a sneak attack, especially on Dalish Elves of all people, and those scavengers arrived here shortly before we did."_

Aedad nodded in confirmation. _"Yes, and these poor bastards have been dead for at least a few days. Whoever did this wanted it to look obvious that it was humans who did the deed."_

"_Yeah, too obvious."_ Oghren grunted. _"Whatever moron left these weapons here just dumped right infront of the camp. You'd have to be a real idiot to just think that the locals did it."_

"_Should we inspect the mine?" _Nathaniel asked. _"We could find out more about what happened here if we follow the drag marks."_

Aedan shook his head. _"Not yet. First we have to find out what happened to the local militia, they were sent here to drive out the Dalish. We need to know if they had anything to do with pissing that elf off."_

The Wardens reburied the dead and made their way down the hill and as they searched further through the wood, it began to look more and more like a battle field. Most of the trees in the Western side of the Wending Wood were burned, there were slain sylvans just lying in the dirt and most disturbing of all was some of the land and the animals seemed to be carrying the darkspawn taint.

After making short work of Blight Wolves the Warden found a very large pile of human bodies inside a small ditch. The sight was appalling; some of the men looked like they had been killed with blades of shoddy make, others had been ripped apart and gnawed on by jagged claws and teeth.

"_It's the men from the local militia."_ Nathaniel let out with a horrified breath.

Aedan looked again on the crime and agreed. All of the men were dressed in cheap low quality arms and armor you'd find on volunteer soldiers from a nearby village, not disciplined troops.

Nathaniel looked on the men with sheer horror while Anders looked like he either wanted to puke or cry, probably both. Oghren just took a swig from his wineskin.

"_These men were not killed by that elf, it looks like they were butchered by the darkspawn."_ Aedan surmised. _"These poor bastards didn't stand a chance."_

"_Ach!" _Oghren spat_. "It's just like the Blight and the Civil war all over again."_

"_Commander! Over there"_ Nathaniel called pointing to yet another scene down the hill.

The company made their way over to tainted area of the woods, and came across another gut-wrenching scene, corrupted spiders feeding on dead men. When the spiders saw them they thought to make another meal of the Grey Wardens, but they proved to be no snack for such creatures. After killing the spiders they went to inspect they bodies, these men armored and they bore the Bear Paw representing the Arling of Amaranthine. These men were soldiers of Amaranthine.

"_Could've waited 'til they's killed me first."_ Called an agonized voice

Aedan looked over to the owner of the complaint and could here labored pained breathing and found another member of the militia.

"_No! Stop! Don't-don't look at me!"_ the militiaman begged and Aedan couldn't blame him. The man's body was thick with the darkspawn taint, his hair was already falling out in clumps, his eyes were two sad milky orbs sinking into his head and his face…his face was falling off his skull. The poor bastard's nose had fallen off completely and the flesh of jaw was dangling by a thread leaving the entire bone exposed, and his stench, he smelled as if he had been dead for at least week after just sitting around in his own excrement, which was probably the case.

Anders went deathly pale at the sight of the man and doubled over away from his fellows. _"BLARGH!"_ This was the third time today.

Nathaniel whispered a quick silent prayer and Oghren readied his hammer to put the poor sap out of his misery. Aedan went over to the soldier and tried to be as composed as he could. _"Who are you, soldier?"_

"_Olaf, my name."_ he rasped out_. "Me and some friends here came to…to drive out the elves. Been a bother to the village, they have. But the darkspawn ambushed us…now dead, all around the ground, all soft, squishy meat."_

The poor son-of-a-bitch sounded half mad and Aedan could understand why. _"What about the elves, did you attack them?"_

"_Not us." _Olaf responded as the remainder of his skin slinked of his jaw and landed on the ground with wet splash. Aedan could hear Ander blowing chunks again_. "That was the darkspawn got us first…took our weapons…left them at the camp."_

"_So all of these people…" _Anders heaved after regaining control of his stomach_. "Are all dead because of…a misunderstanding. This is horrible!"_

"_Olaf."_ Aedan continued_. "Were are the darkspawn now?"_

"_Everywhere. In the ground. The trees, the shadows. They want to watch us…to understand us. To see what makes us…us. The…the Architect."_

"_Architect. What's the Architect?"_ Aedan asked but then all of sudden the top of Olaf's scalp peeled of his head and slid onto his shoulder and then he puked tainted ichor out of his mouth and nose-less nasal cavity making Aedan back away from him.

"_Oh, Sweet nug-humping Ancestors, Cousland!"_ Oghren cursed. _"Will ya just put the poor bastard out of his misery already, instead of playing twenty questions with him!?"_

"_Please…be merciful…finish me."_ Olaf pleaded pitifully.

Aedan pulled out his hunting and gave Olaf the gift of mercy. As he put his knife pack in its holster he began to ponder. That thing Olaf had said, _Architect. _Whats an architect got to do with anything?

Then he sensed them. They were right behind them. Impossible. Darkspawn are incapable of landing such an ambush on Grey Wardens, they would've sensed the taint coming off of them a mile away. Aedan thought it could've been his mind playing tricks on him but he knew better. He turned around and there they were; A group of at least twenty darkspawn led by a Hurlock Emissary and a Genlock Alpha beating the ground with two enlarged, spiked knuckles. Something seemed different about these darkspawn. Their eyes. Every time Aedan killed the tainted freaks, their eye blazed with rage, insanity or just plain emptiness. These darkspawn however, their eyes seemed to have some sort of….intelligence.

"_Come…with us."_ The Emissary beckoned.

"_Fuck that!"_ Aedan barked as a Hurlock wielding a crude warhammer charged at him, so Aedan charged the Hurlock as well…without drawing his axe. Aedan came at the Hurlock with his fists open, a red, bloody aura surrounding his fingers turning them into claws. As the Hurlock swung his hammer at Aedan, the Warden's Blood-Raged fists slashed the haft of his enemy's weapon and took the hurlock's head off with one clean swipe. As the darkspawn began their charge, the Emissary conjured a lightning spell, so Aedan, with the hurlocks skull still in his hand, threw the severed head directly at the darkspawn mage's chest before it could release its spell, knocking it several feet backwards.

Like enraged animals, two more genlocks charged the Commander on all fours. The first one to charge met its end when Aedan kicked his mailed boot under its massive chin and snapped its neck. The second was killed when the Warden finally drew his axe and cleaved the creature's head clean in half.

Oghren, not wanting to let his friend Aedan have all the fun, went Berserk and charged after the Genlocks all huddled together for an attack with a wide grin on his face. Genlocks were the darkspawn variant of the dwarves and no one knew better about how to kill them, or pitied them as much, as the dwarves of Orzammar. Genlocks have massive upper bodies, thick with muscle with burly arms, thick and powerful fists, but disproportionately thin and wiry legs, so the only method of mobility was to charge ferociously with their fists or walk with a very obscene waddle. The most frightening feature they had though was their heads, what with their massive under bite and rows of jagged, saw-like teeth and bronto-esque necks, it was almost impossible to decapitate them, not without really sharp or really heavy weapon. Because of their build the best way to do in these blighters was to hit them from behind or aim for their unarmored areas. But sneaking up on bastards or using sharp thinking in combat just wasn't the Oghren Kondrat style.

With five Genlock's charging one dwarf Warden you'd think to bet your money on the 'spawn, but Berserking greatly increase a warriors speed, perception and strength. The first son-of-a-tainted nug thought it would be good idea to try and take a bite of Oghren, so Oghren shoved his warhammer into the bastard's maw, shattering its skull. The second tried to follow suit but this time the Berserker shoved the spike on his hammer's haft into the freaks left eye and into its brain. The next two tried to attack Oghren at once. So the with a hard swing of his hammer broke through one's body clear in half and into his buddy's jaw, whilst the Dwarf gave a rowdy hoot. The final one must've been the smart one; it tried to do Ol' Ogrhen in with bent little throwing knives. But Oghren, no matter how drunk he was, just kept blocking each little pinprick with the hammerhead whilst charging the cowardly creature, and brought his hammer down on his quarry's head with and loud, resounding and satisfying… **"CRUNCH!"**

For almost twelve years Nathaniel spent his life in the Free Marches, learning, training, preparing himself for when he returned to lead his family's armies and in time take up being the Arl himself. Now here was fighting the very evil creatures that assisted in his family's downfall. While his still blamed Cousland for his house's shame he would vent his aggression on the darkspawn. During Nathaniel's years as a squire and freelance scout he had spent his time honing himself as an archer so that he could lead men from the back yet still be able to fight and protect the soldiers in his charge, now these filthy cretins would taste the fruits of his labor.

Nathaniel began drawing and knocking arrows, loosing Precision Shots into the darkspawn's eyes and necks so that they wouldn't overwhelm the two warriors. It wasn't until Nathaniel placed a well shot arrow in between the recovering Emissary's eyes did three pissed off hurlock's finally give him serious notice. They charged at him quickly and fiercely, two ran side-to-side of each other while the third ran with them from the back. Nathaniel quickly drew an arrow and unleashed a Shattering Shot from his bowstring. The arrow hit its mark turning the hurlocks head into a mass of shredded meat and bone while the monster right next to it took large amounts shrapnel into the left side of its head, piercing its jugular and tearing its face, bringing it down with a disturbing gurgle. The last one came for Nathaniel too quickly for him to draw another arrow in time, but the former noble was ready for it. The Hurlock swung its crudely forged sword down on Nathaniel. The archer nimbly evaded his enemy's poor attack and quickly drew the Ostwick Dirk from the small of his back, and jammed his finely honed blade through the creature's esophagus and into its brainstem before it could recover for another attack.

When Nathaniel recovered his knife from the Hurlock which fell numbly to the side he noticed the Genlock Alpha charging Oghren from behind and the drunk dwarf was too busy having fun smashing it current enemy into wine to notice. Not having time to drop his knife and then knock an arrow, Nathaniel timed for the right moment and threw his blade precisely into the Alpha's ear cavity.

The creature stumbled and then fell over with a crash right as Oghren finally noticed it. Oghren looked he had just been cheated at a game of Wicked Grace and looked at Nathaniel with a bratty pout_. "I don't need help from anybody!"_ the Dwarf complained.

"_You're welcome!"_ the Archer called back sarcastically.

As they holstered their weapons Nathaniel noticed a strange amulet around the emissary's neck. It showed a white tree with silver green leaves, it was obviously Dalish. This filth had no right to wear such an item as a trophy. _"We need to find that elf and explain to her what really happened."_ Nathaniel suggested.

"_Yes."_ Anders agreed. "_Her camp…maybe we can find back at that elven camp."_

The Wardens began marching back to the camp to find the elf, but it didn't seem necessary, she found them and she still looked aggravated.

"_Why are you still here!?"_ She demanded. _"I told you to leave! This no place for you!"_

"_I'm here to do my duty! You're in my way!"_ Aedan retorted angrily.

The elf's green eyes flashed with anger. _"You should never have come to begin with! Just like the other humans! Now you'll get just you deserve like all of your kind!"_

With that she summoned her will and unleashed a great deal of magic into the trees bringing them to life as more angry sylvans. Aedan notice that after performing that particular spell the elf looked drained as ran away from the field as if half-drunk.

Nathaniel backed away and began shooting fire arrows at the sylvan, but it only served to make the angrier. Anders laid out a Mass Paralysis Spell, freezing the angry tree-monsters in their place. Aedan and Oghren attacked the massive trunk-legs with their hammer and axe while Nathaniel switched over to ice arrows to great effect.

But the sylvan's weren't the only thing that the elf had called from the forest. A huge pack of wolves came running at them with the intent to devour the intruders. Aedan growled like a rage demon and donned a horrific face with horns, burning eyes and very large teeth, and scared the pack of dogs away with their tails between their legs.

Now it was that elf's turn to know fear. They ran back over to the Dalish camp to finish her off. Aedan was delightfully surprised to find her barely able to stand and looking like she was about to keel over. Performing such powerful magic so frequently must be taking its toll on her. This would make killing her much more entertaining.

"_You…! You will never take me alive!"_ The elf coughed angrily.

"_When did I give you that impression, bitch?"_ Aedan asked sinisterly as he readied his axe.

"_I want to die where my loved ones lay."_ The elf pleaded as she made her way over to the graves. "_Will you at least give me that?"_

"_There'll be no vhenadal for you."_ Aedan promised angrily.

"_WAIT!"_ Nathaniel yelled getting between his Commander and the elf_. _A dangerous place to be._ "We don't have to kill her, Commander."_ Nathaniel tossed the Dalish mage amulet he found over to the elven mage.

The elf looked on the amulet with shock and traced her finger along the design with tenderness. _"This…this belonged to my sister, Seranni."_ She gasped. _"Where did you find this?"_

"_On a darkspawn emissary."_ Nathaniel answered_. "They're the ones who attacked your clan."_

"_What!? You mean to tell me that the darkspawn took Serrani?"_ The elf barely believed him. _"The darkspawn are mindless! What of the shemlen weapons!?"_

"_They were left here by the darkspawn as a trick, and you fell for it."_ Aedan answered spitefully. _"You fucking idiot."_

The elf's face was painted with shock and horror. _"I…I wanted revenge, I was too busy to think. Then…then that could only mean the darkspawn have her. No…no I mustn't think like that. I have to find her."_

Perhaps Aedan could make use of this idiotic elf's anger. After seeing what she had done in the forest, and seeing that the darkspawn made an enemy of her, Aedan could use her as a weapon to clear the darkspawn out of the Wood. Then kill her_. "If you want to do your sister a favor, then help us track down the darkspawn."_

"_You…want to help Seranni?"_ The elf asked disbelievingly. _"Why?"_

"_My duty is to eradicate the darkspawn."_ Aedan answered scornfully_. "You can either help, or you can get away."_

"_I….If killing the darkspawn is your goal, then I'll gladly aid you."_ The elf declared.

"_Ohhh, why are we bringing along another mage?"_ Oghren groaned.

"_Because she's a looker!" _Anders laughed. _"Ga-row."_ The flirty look on his face was wiped off by the Dalish elf's nasty glare.

"_My name is Velanna, if you care for introductions."_ The elf finally introduced. "_Where do we start?"_

"_They'll most likely be in caves."_ Aedan answered_. "Any ideas?"_

"_There's an abandoned silverite mine not far from here."_ Velanna pointed southward_. "We'll most likely find them there."_

The Wardens followed Velanna down to the abandoned mine. Hopefully their quarry and Velanna's sister wouldn't be too hard to find.

Strange. According to Nathaniel this mine was abandoned and sealed off during his grandfather's time, but it seemed that someone, or something, had unsealed the mines entrance. This could only mean they were doing in the right direction.

When the entered the mine it was as silent as a tomb with no signs of life or activity. Then Aedan felt something; a presence that could only belong to a darkspawn, but it was…different.

Alerted by the danger Aedan drew his axe and looked at the ledge above them. What the fuck was that? Two persons; a dwarf heavily afflicted with the Blight and an extremely tall…human? No. There was something strange about him, something…tainted.

Aedan realized too late what he was staring at, and before he could react a magical glyph ignited beneath their feet.

"_Shhh. Sleep."_ The tallman bade in lisping voice that sounded like dead and devoid of emotion.

Aedan's strength left him and his fellows fell to the ground around him. His eyes became heavy and his vitality drained. In a moment he forced into a deep sleep. Shit.

**Author's Note:**

Once again, Dragon Age and the world of Thedas are the property of the BioWare gaming company. This story is completely fictional and written for the enjoyment of myself and the fans of Dragon Age, I own nothing. And sorry for the wait. Writing a sequel is harder than you'd think. Please review.


	4. Depravity in the Dark

**Depravity in the Dark.**

After what felt like an eternity Aedan's eyes shot open in instinctive panic. He tried to get up but found that he was securely bolted to some kind of stone slab. What the fuck was going on? Where was he?

_"Ah, you're finally awake."_ Said that same hollow voice. _"Do not struggle. Your injuries have been tended to."_

This time Aedan got a better look at the freakshow that greeted him at the entrance. The taint radiated off of it like wild fire. It was almost twice as tall as he was with long skeletal arms with demonic large, clawed hands attached to them. Its body was garbed in a drably colored robe with simple gold embroideries intertwining on the chest and had feathered pauldrons, as if it wanted to look civilized instead of threatening.

But its face? Its face was almost…human? No concave nasal cavity with a lipless, jagged mouth with rows of sharp rotting teeth, but long and gaunt face with a sharp nose above its thin lips. And a strange, Orlesian style mask over its eyes, as though it wanted to hide its ugliness. At first Aedan thought it was wearing a holy man's headdress on its head, but then realized it was some kind of intricately shaped chitin-like crest growing from its skull in the shape of a bishop's miter.

_"So you are the Commander of the Grey Wardens. I apologize for what I must do."_ The creature continued, his voice full of pity. _"I do not wish to be your enemy."_

_"A little late for that, you freak of nature!"_ Aedan snarled as he struggled against his restraints. _"When I get out of here you're gonna wish that your broodmother just ate you the day you were spawned!."_

The darkspawn was unfazed by Aedan's anger, but it wasn't going to let him break free. "Now is not the time for this. For now…rest." The creature waved his hand with some kind of hexing spell invoked, and Aedan was forced back into a sleeping state. All Aedan could do was try not to imagine the things this creature would do to him or the others while he was under.

**~XoXoXo~**

Aedan woke up again, this time the hard stone floor of a dungeon with the rest of his comrades. What happened to them?

_"Oh, thank the Maker you're finally awake!"_ Anders praised.

Aedan groaned as he rubbed his temples and tried to ignore his pounding headache. He felt like he was suffering a hangover after a Wintersend celebration. He looked at his fellows and that their gear, weapons and belongings all taken. Strange. They disarmed them and could have killed them the whole time when they were asleep, but didn't. This completely countered everything he thought he knew about the darkspawn.

_"Commander, do you notice something?"_ Nathaniel asked with his hair loose and hanging out. In fact, all of them had their hair out of their respective styles and hung from their heads. Even Oghren's beard was out of its two distinctive locks and hung loosely in front of his mouth like a wall of red moss.

_"Notice what, Nathaniel? Oghren's body odor?"_ Aedan answered sarcastically.

_"Or lack there of."_ Nathaniel responded. _"In fact, I'd say he smells rather decent given all the blood and sweat he was covered in not too long ago."_

That was an interesting point. In fact, as he looked at himself, he noticed that they had all been cleaned. Did the darkspawn bathe them? This was becoming more and more bizarre. Aedan noticed a healed cut over both his wrists that he knew that he didn't receive in battle. He looked over to the others and saw that they all had the same healed incisions on them, except for Velanna. _"That freak bled us when we were out cold. Now I feel violated."_

Aedan felt like something else was missing. When his eyes finally traveled to his hands he began to panic angrily. _"Where is it? Where is it?!"_ Aedan fumed, checking his person and looking around him._ "They…**TOOK IT!"**_

_"Where's what?"_ Anders asked, rubbing his head like he was recovering from a hangover.

_"MY RING! THOSE BASTARDS STOLE MY RING!"_ Aedan's yelling echoed throughout the dungeon.

The look on Velanna's face was painted with her disbelief. _"We've been taken prisoner by darkspawn, locked in a dungeon with no weapon and no way out, and all you can think of is a stupid ring!?"_

_"Hey, elf!"_ Oghren barked. _"Trust me, you don't want to go there."_

Morrigan gave him that ring. It was his only memento, his connection to her. When he finds the sorry bastard who stole it from him he's going to smash his head in with his boot heel!

Aedan heard footsteps approaching the cage. He looked to find a darkspawn, but instead found another elf. She was young, not even out her teens yet. Her eyes were milky and her skin was covered in dark blotches, signs of the Blight.

_"Seranni!"_ Velanna cried. She was relieved to see her sister but was horrified to see what the darkspawn have done. _"Oh, sweet creators! What have these creatures done to you?"_

Aedan could see the resemblance. They had the same eyes and cheekbones, and similar tattoos decorating their faces.

_"They haven't done anything. I…I'm fine."_ Seranni assured. _"It's not me he wants. I have to get you out before something happens. I don't want anyone else getting hurt."_

_"Where is my ring!?"_ Aedan demanded.

_"The darkspawn have your things."_ The blighted elf answered._ "You can still get it back if you're careful and clever."_

A wet roar and growling echoed through the behind a nearby door. Someone was coming. And fast.

_"They're coming to check on you! Here take this."_ Seranni slipped an old key between the bars and handed it to Aedan. "_It unlocks a chest in the emissary's lab. You'll find weapons and equipment in there."_

_"Wait. You're infected!"_ Aedan pointed out. _"You'll die unless we get you treatment now."_

_"No, that won't happen."_ Seranni assured. _"The Architect promised to keep me safe."_

_"The Architect?"_ Aedan inquired. _"You mean that emissary!?"_

They could hear the darkspawn coming closer. They'd soon be through the door.

_"You have to go now!"_ Seranni yelled. _"Find a way out of the mines, please!" Seranni turned and ran as fast as she could."_

_"Seranni, no!"_ Velanna cried out at the darkness. _"I can't leave you here. Seranni!"_

Aedan wasted no time. He quickly unlocked the door with the key just as the darkspawn entered. Anders and Velanna lit their asses up with two very big fire balls while Aedan pried off one of the prison bars and smashed the remaining darkspawns' heads in with it.

With these guards handled they walked into the laboratory Serannia mentioned. It was a much cleaner than Aedan would have expected but just as sinister. There was the slab where Aedan and the others were bolted to. Aedan noticed a freshly used knife and blood pooling on it. He looked at both his wrists and saw that there were recently healed incisions made on both of them. Did that freak harvest blood from them here?

There was a small library in the lab and certain books strewn on the desk next to crude and recently used medical tools. Books about blood magic and dragons and Reavers alongside handwritten journals. The journals were written in crude, jagged handwriting, but they were legible. Aedan was appalled by the fact that this darkspawn emissary was capable of speech, but reading and writing, as well. Aedan grabbed a nearby bag and shoved as many of the books as could inside, perhaps they would give him some kind of insight into this creature.

_"Sweet, merciful Andraste!"_ Anders gasped in disgust. Everyone ran over to what was distressing him, and they were just as distressed. In an antechamber below them that was filled with a nauseas green gas, but beneath the green miasma was something more horrendous. Decaying and recently slain bodies of elves and humans and dwarves laid strewn about the floor. From the position of most of the bodies, the tried to claw their way out or choked to death on the gas. What was this emissary doing here?

_"Look! Over here!"_ Anders called out. The group went over to where Anders was on the other side of the antechamber and it only served to further their rage and disgust. Strapped to the walls were over a dozen naked men.

_"Who're these poor blighters_?" Oghren asked.

_"Look."_ Nathaniel pointed with great alarm.

They all looked to were Nathaniel was aiming at, it was a pile of high-quality silverite armor, plate and leather and all of them bearing the silver, two griffons proper, back-to-back over a chalice. These were the Grey Wardens sent from Orlais to assist Vigil's Keep.

_"So…this is what happened to the Order's reinforcements."_ Oghren commented gravely.

_"I don't understand."_ Nathaniel started. _"Darkspawn never take prisoner, so why are they now? What is the point in taking Grey Wardens captive if they are going to kill them anyway?"_

Aedan had no answers for Nathaniel and he noticed that Velanna looked like she wanted to cry.

_"Those elves back in there….they were members of my clan. They were my friends."_ She wept.

Aedan wanted slap Velanna for being sentimental after all the friends and family men she murdered because of her stupidity but then Anders approached the bodies as if he wanted to inspect them.

_"What'cha think yer doin', magey."_ Oghren inquired.

_"Trying to use my intelligence, something you obviously lack."_ Anders retorted. _"Commander, come here."_

_"What is it, Anders."_ Aedan asked as he approached Anders who had hands probing and inspecting the corpses.

_"Notice something unusual?"_ the mage asked.

Aedan took a moment to look at his poor dead brethren. _"They all have their veins cut open."_

_"Yes, but keep looking."_ Anders urged. _"These men have been presumed dead for what? At least a week? And there's no rigor mortis. No decomposing of the flesh. And no flies to enjoy a buffet."_

_"How can that be?"_ Vellana asked impatiently.

_"See those incisions on their necks? That's not from a darkspawn axe."_

Aedan could see it now. These men had their throats open be a very fine and well hewn blade, like medical scalpel. _"These men were bled dry."_

_"Exactly."_ Anders confirmed._ "Now notice something else that's odd about this particular room."_

Now Aedan was noticing how cold it was, cold enough for their mouths and nostrils to fog as they breathed.

_"I'm guessing that they all had their blood drained and were kept in this room for the sake of having their bodies examined."_ The apostate explained.

Now this was a horrifying discovery. For what reason could darkspawn have to just drain blood from the Wardens. What was more disturbing was the fact these darkspawn had the intelligence to perform acts of science. The darkspawn were starting to evolve, but how? And why so soon _after_ a Blight?

_"Alright."_ Aedan announced. _"We need to find weapons and equipment fast, lest we join our brothers here in this tomb._

_"Think it'd be alright if we used their armor?"_ Oghren asked sarcastically.

_"I don't think the dead have an opinion."_ Nathaniel balked.

They took whatever armor could fit them from the pile and moved on to look for whatever weapons they could find.

_"Hey, look over here!"_ Nathaniel called them over to a part of the lab that looked more like a museum. They all gazed in awe at the collection of priceless and lost treasures that decorated the dank, drab darkness of this cesspit.

It was a treasure trove. Famous and legendary weapons lost to the ages adorned the wall while enchanted and beautiful jewelry and accessories were set in glass cases. A dragonbone staff and a bow stamped with the Pentaghast family crest, an Ortho war-axe and a set of volcanic-aurum knives made for one of the Talons of the Antivan crows in the third age. Rivaini protection amulets, a talisman blessed by Divine Clemence I and a pair of rings stamped with the heraldry of Archon Darinius and King Endrin Stonehammer. How did the darkspawn get their filthy hands on such treasures?

_"Look at it all!"_ Nathaniel exclaimed as he took down the bow. It was a short composite bow designed for mobility and maximum power, but at shorter ranges. Its arms were wiry and floral-like to emulate wings. _"I recognize this design! When I was in Cumberland, I saw statues of Pentaghast dragon slayers with bows like this. They called these bows Dragonspite. Almost all Neverran bows are based on this design, but how did the darkspawn get one with the Pentaghast family insignia on it?"_

_"The Blights have existed for over a thousand years."_ Aedan answered as he grabbed the Daggers of the Talons. _"Many treasures and lost arts have been taken by them. I have no doubt that the darkspawn hold more priceless artifacts than all the vaults in Orlais, Tevinter and Orzammar combined."_

This was most unexpected. With all the dead bodies in this room Aedan would have thought this creature no different than any other darkspawn, malignant and incapable of thought or feeling. But this display demonstrated something else about this thing. From the way these treasures were displayed in this death-pit, it was as if the Architect had a desire, a need, to draw on the beauty of these items to scrub away the ugliness that surrounded him. But judging from all the dead bodies that littered this chamber it was all an illusion, a pretty mask to hide the putrid truth from itself.

They all grabbed what weapon and enchanted items they could get their hands on and made their way further into the mine. As they walked the cramped, blight-ridden tunnels they noticed something ahead of them that made Aedan's blood boil with rage.

A ghoul. A human male that had been so infected with the Blight his mind was now a slave to the darkspawn's tainted will. And it was wearing Aedan's armor, carrying his axe…and had Aedan's ring around its rotting finger.

_**"I'M GOING TO CRUSH THAT THING'S HEAD!"** _Aedan screamed as he ran after the ghoul.

The ghoul ran further and further down the tunnels and Aedan's outburst alerted all the darkspawn inside.

_"He risks his life or getting lost in these tunnels for a mere trinket?"_ Velanna scoffed as the rest of them tried to catch up to Aedan._ "How are we supposed to find him?"_

_"Just follow all the dead bodies and screaming, sweetheart."_ Oghren answered.

The dwarf wasn't kidding. Armed only with those Antivan daggers, Aedan slew every darkspawn that got in between him and his quarry. With the volcanic-aurum blade Aedan easily pierced the darkspawn's armor and slashed their throats.

The others finally caught up with Aedan only to find him surrounded by other ghouls, all wearing their arms and armor. Everyone engaged their ghoulish counterpart while Aedan aimed to take his ring back.

The "Nathaniel" equivalent could barely knock an arrow, let alone pull back the bow string. So while that thing struggled with operating the bow, Nathaniel was able to kill four hurlocks with the Dragonspite bow, and then finally put an arrow between the ghoul's eyes.

The two blighted mages could only conjure the simplest of spells with barely enough power to give their enemies a rash. The spells were so weak that they either missed or didn't even reach their intended targets. Velanna and Anders were a different matter altogether. Anders drew upon the Fade and launched a freezing spell that consumed both ghouls and froze them in their tracks, while Velanna hurled a boulder from the earth and shattered their blight-ridden counterparts like glass.

As impossible as it may seem, and it really does seem impossible, Oghren's counterpart actually smelled better than he ever did. But Oghren was less than pleased to see some chode-choking, nug-humper getting blight all over his junk. The dwarven ghoul didn't even have chance to lift his stolen maul before Oghren took that Ortho waraxe and knocked the thing's head clean off its shoulders.

Aedan finally caught up with the walking pile of rot that was wearing his armor and stole his ring, and he was pissed. The creature finally stopped running and turned to face the angry human. The ghoul could barely lift Aedan's axe and made slow clumsy swing at the Commander's neck. Aedan easily ducked beneath the axehead and slammed his fist into the creature's sternum. The ghoul fell down with a thud, but before it made an attempt to get back up Aedan stomped his boot right on the ghoul's head with all his weight. Instead of crunching like a healthy human head would, the ghoul's head squashed like a rotted pumpkin with its brains and tainted bile oozing out of its ears.

Aedan ripped the ghouls hand off like it was made of paper as he took back his prized possession. He clenched the rosewood ring in his fist and held it to his chest like a precious treasure. He placed the ring back on his finger and felt the anger and anxiety leave him. He was reunited with his connection to his Mo Siule Orga Whurnin, his Golden-Eyed Darling.

_"Get your gear and equipment back from these fuckers."_ Aedan ordered after he'd finally calmed down._ "We need to find a way out of here."_

_"We should keep following this tunnel."_ Oghren pointed towards the path ahead of them. _"I might live on the surface now, but, sod it all, I still got my Stone Sense. The way out is that way."_ As Oghren continued to lead them through the tunnels, but roused everyone's ire when he led them straight to a stone wall.

_"Ooh! Great job, Oghren!"_ Anders exclaimed with faux adulation. _"You led us out of danger and into a dead end. Bravo."_

_"Hold on a second."_ The dwarf implored.

Something was b beneath all the taint, spider-webs and moss collecting dust. He decided to take a moment to inspect.

_"Oghren!"_ Aedan called impatiently, they didn't have the time for Oghren to stand around and look at the walls.

_"Just give me a sodding minute."_ Oghren beckoned as he pulled out his hunting knife and began scrapping the residues of the walls. Aedan went to see what was so important. As Nathaniel continued to scrape taint and moss they both saw something, something bright and shiny and silver. _"Commander! Do you know what this is!?"_

_"Silverite!"_ Aedan exclaimed.

_"I'm sure whatever that is, it's very nice."_ Velanna said with contempt._ "But we need to move quickly, not admire the taint in the caverns!"_

_"Don't you know what silverite is, woman?"_ Oghren grunted. _"This stuff just as valuable as gold only much more useful."_

_"Yes."_ Anders agreed. _"Surprisingly it has natural healing properties that are effective against the taint so it's ideal to forge into arms and armor for the Wardens to use against darkspawn."_

_"It looks like an untouched vein. Those who must've mined here probably never delved this far."_ Nathaniel explained.

_"As soon as were out of this rectum in the earth."_ Aedan announced._ "I want this place claimed and drilled for fresh silverite."_

As they went further in the abandoned silverite mine they encountered more darkspawn, and drakes and dragonlings, oddly enough. Strange. Darkspawn do not interact with dragons outside of the Archdemons. And these dragon-kin seemed as ready to assist these darkspawn as those ones in the Temple of Sacred Ashes served the Disciples of Andraste.

Despite being undoubtedly lost, with only a smelly, unrepentant, dwarven drunk to guide them out of this godforsaken hole in the ground, and being surrounded by the numerical definition of a shitload of hurlocks, genlocks, shrieks, drakes and dragonlings, the five of them laid waste to every sorry bastard ignorant enough to stand between them and the exit. It was like foolishly standing between a glutton and his lunch during the Summerday buffet.

Once they got close to what Oghren claimed to be the end of tunnel, they took a moment to rest, being lost and killing so many darkspawn was tiring. As they sat on the floor Velanna began sniffing the air like she could smell something. _"Seranni!"_

Velanna knew the scent of her younger sister and chased it behind a door in the hallway leading from the tunnel. Velanna practically ripped the door off its hinges in the hope that her sister was there, only to find an empty bedroom.

_"Velanna what are you doing?"_ Aedan demanded after catching up to the elf.

_"I know my sister's scent!"_ Velanna answered frantically. _"She was here, I know she was."_

The bedroom was small and quaint. A bed, a medium sized trunk and bookcase with a few volumes scattered on it. Aedan examined the books and found that they were merely educational texts. How to read, write, and even customs and etiquette in various cultures, though that book looked like it was barely touched. Aedan inspected the contents of the trunk only to find more books, but these ones were older, more worn and appeared to be personal journals going back years. Aedan stuffed in the bag with the other books he collected, perhaps they could provide answers as to what they were dealing with.

_"There's another scent here."_ Velanna discovered in horror. _"The same scent that that creature carried. This was the Architect's room. What has it done with my sister?!"_

With nothing new to learn from this dwelling Aedan and Velanna regrouped with the others and continued down the tunnel. They made their way to a stairwell, which they hoped would lead them to the surface, when they were surprised by something none of the expected.

_"You are not supposed to be here."_ Said a deep foreign, but monotone voice. The owner of the voice was definitely something they did not expect, a qunari!?

_"Well, you're not supposed to be here, either."_ Anders retorted.

_"You are wrong."_ The qunari balked back._ "I have an arrangement with the creatures. I bring them supplies, they bring me gold."_

Aedan observed the tall, foreign creature. Having been around Sten for over a year during the Blight Aedan was not unused to the sight of the Northern oxemen. But this was nothing like Sten. He was very tall, like all qunari men, but he was most definitely not a soldier. His stance was wrong and he looked too well fed to be a warrior. While he had shoulders like an oxe, he also had a belly like a boulder and his hands were soft for a man his size. And, unlike Sten, but like most qunari, this one had horns, but they were filed down to short stumps sticking out of his head.

_"What's a qunari doing with the darkspawn?"_ Aedan finally asked.

_"The qun is lie!"_ The oxeman growled as he pointed to his lopped horns. _"I am Tal-Vashoth! Outcast. My life is my own."_

Aedan had heard of those that left the qun called Tal-Vashoth, Sten spoke of them with great disdain. Though Aedan could hardly fault anyone wanting to leave that oppressive life style behind. Though his motives for being here were unknown. _"Why would the darkspawn let you live?"_

_"I provide a service."_ The tal-vashoth answered calmly. _"I have contacts throughout the North that bring supplies southward. In return for giving them supplies, they pay me and have promised me immunity from the taint."_

_"And you actually think they'll keep this up?"_ Oghren asked sarcastically. _"You don't wanna know what's going on?"_

_"No. Questioning these creatures would be…inadvisable."_

That was actually a very practical mindset this tal-vashoth possessed. Aedan recalled Mistress Woolsey telling him that the Vigil's market needed to start flowing again, and this tal-vashoth had access to a supply line from the North that no one else knew of. This could be a lucrative opportunity.

_"You must realize that you can only trade with the darkspawn for so long."_ Aedan pointed out._ "Eventually they'll no longer have need of your services, and what do you think they'll do with you after their done with you?"_

The oxeman pondered his financial and personal future for a moment._ "….What would you suggest?"_

_"Come to Vigil's Keep."_ Aedan answered. _"We have need of someone who can discreetly get us supplies from the North and can keep your trade flowing, and provide you protection from the darkspawn."_

_"Vigil's Keep? That is the Grey Warden fort?"_ The giant trader inquired. _"Yes, I have heard of it. If there is coin to be had, Armaas will be there."_

_"Wait, Armaas!"_ Velanna pleaded._ "Please, have you seen another elf wandering these mines?"_

_"Yes, but you do not want to be near her."_ Armaas answered quietly.

_"She is my sister! Please, I must find her!"_ tears were verging in the elf's eyes.

_"Very well."_ Armaas sighed despondently. _"I understand what you're asking, and I am not heartless." He pointed towards two large doors at the end of the hall. "The woman you seek went down that way. If you're swift you may catch up with her."_

_"Thank you Armaas."_ Aedan said.

_"Go quickly, then."_ The tal-vashoth bade._ "I will say nothing of you to the darkspawn."_

The group made their way up to the doors and were surprised to find a chest that had the rest of their missing gear. How queer. Why would the darkspawn just leave all this gear lying around for them to take back? Something seemed off.

Judging from the architecture of the doors and most of the mine, this was made when the Tevinters occupied this land. Along the doorway was inscribed some ancient Tevinter pictographs none of them could translate. It looked like pictures of men, some armed and some kneeling, before the presence of dragons. A common theme in Tevinter lore.

They entered a wide, open chamber with cracked tiles and mosaics decorating the floor. There was absolutely nothing in the chamber that could have been any use to a mine. The only thing that stood out was a few underground balconies that overlooked the floor below.

_"SERANNI!"_ Velanna's screech split the silence of the underground room as she finally found her sister. She was standing next to what looked like a female dwarf, thick with the taint. And standing behind both of them was that tall emissary wearing the Orlesian styled mask.

Seranni looked up to the Architect with her now milky eyes, smiling, and nodded her head. The emissary raised its large, clawed hand to the air, as if it were signaling something. Aedan heard what sounded like ship sails billowing in powerful wind, and the scraping of spear heads grinding against stone, followed by two earsplitting cries of a dying choir. That was when Aedan realized that Velanna's sister led them into a trap, and this was no chamber; it was an arena.

Two female dragons, not large enough to be called High Dragons, but large to ruin someone's day. One black as night and the other yellow as sand, descended down on to floor below, with ropes of flaming red bursting from the toothy maws.

"_Well, those are some big lizards."_ Aedan observed nodding his head._ "KILL 'EM!"_

Aedan and Oghren charged the oversized snakes, but this arena had just enough room, and the dragons were small enough to fly out of the way of the oncoming warriors and spit a ball of flame at them. The veteran darkspawn slayers narrowly evaded the burning assault from draconian attackers.

Alistair said it once, and Aedan has always found it to be true, especially with dragon: swooping is bad. And in this case it was a nightmare!

These dragons had enough room to swoop down on their enemies and eviscerate them with their claws and teeth, or simply roast them alive at a distance, and their mortal enemies simply had little to no room to maneuver around.

Fortunately for the Wardens, they had two mages and an expert archer to use against the winged iguanas. Anders conjured a powerful ice spell that made the very air within the arena as cold as a tundra, making the dragons' movement sluggish and painful, while Nathaniel put the reputation of the Pentaghast clan's Dragonspite to the test by firing precise shots at one of the beast's wings and eyes. The dragons moved thrashed heads about with too much rage to make clean shot, but the arrows launched from that bow tore through their wings like a nail through a plank.

While Anders and Nathaniel dealt with the sandy brown dragon, the others contended with the jet black dragon. Velanna tried to hurl rocks at the thing, but the creature was nimble and evaded the Dalish mage's assault. Realizing this tactic was useless, Velanna felt the connection of the Fade for her next attack. Massive roots sprung from beneath the earth like a dozen powerful tendrils, shattering the tiled floor, snatching the dragon out of their air and smashing it to the ground. Oghren charged in to finish it off his hammer, but the dragon's powerful tail swatted the dwarven berserker like a gnat and sent him flying. It gnashed and twisted its powerful jaws and muscles in an attempt to free itself from the roots that bound it.

Before Velanna had the chance to conjure a spell strong enough to kill the dragon, the beast ripped its head out of it binds, thrashing wildly with columns of smoke billowing from it maw. After its red eyes found the elven assailant, the dragon's head snapped down on its serpentine neck to bite the elf in half with its powerful jaws. Velanna was frozen on the spot, she had no time to react or conjure another spell, and the dragon's teeth were upon her. This was the end!

But it never came.

Velanna found herself thrown to the ground and looking up at the Warden-Commander, who planted his axe right in the middle of the dragon's snout, forcing its mouth shut. The dragon whimpered pitifully through broken teeth and the new hole in its head. Aedan raised his axe, with the dragon's head still attached to it, high above himself and quickly pivoted one hundred and eighty degrees backwards and snapped his axe downwards. The dragon's brainstem broke at an acute angle and made a sickening snap that resounded through the arena like a dried twig.

Oghren finally picked himself up after that dragon bitch-smacked him with its tail only to find Aedan stealing his thunder by twisting the black dragon's neck like a piece of licorice. Nathaniel and Anders, however, were still contending with theirs. Nathaniel's arrows managed to pierce the thick membranes of the dragon's wings and bring it to the ground, landing right on top of a Mass Paralysis glyph that Anders had laid out. Sensing an opportunity and knowing that neither the rogue or mage had the hardware to finish off such vicious foe, Oghren charged the once airborne reptile with his hammerhead raised high.

_"From Oghren with love, ya moss-licking pile of luggage!"_ Oghren smashed his hammer down on the dragon's thick skull and caved its cranium in. The dragon twitched and flayed its tail, and not wanting to be tail-smacked again, Oghren continued to pound down on the dragon's head. The arena was filled with the sound of wet crunches until all that was left of the dragon's head was a wet, chunky mass of flowing blood, splattered brains and crushed eyeballs.

All five combatants turned their attention to the three spectators. Velanna could only watch in horror as her beloved sister walked side-by-side with the Architect as it sealed the tunnel behind them. The entire time Seranni had a look of serenity on her face.

_"No. NO!"_ Velanna cried. _"Why would she go with that creature!? We must go after her!"_

_"They're darkspawn, they'll head to the Deep Roads."_ Oghren answered.

_"The home of the Children of the Stone, yes."_ Velanna acknowledged.

_"If your sister walks alongside the darkspawn, then she is probably a lost cause."_ Aedan informed callously.

_"No. No you're wrong!"_ Velanna denied on the verge of tears. _"She must have a reason, she must! I have to find her!"_

_"And how would you even start?"_ Aedan asked vehemently.

_"I….It's said that the Grey Wardens possess the power to sense and find darkspawn, even in the depths of the earth. I would offer my services to your cause in exchange for this power."_

Nathaniel wasn't sure Velanna knew what she was asking for. _"You need to understand that the Joining could very well kill you."_

_"I do not fear death."_ The Dalish elf assured with utter confidence. _"Make me a Grey Warden."_

That dangerous look returned to Aedan's eyes as what little patience and sympathy he had reached the end of its rope. He snatched her by the neck and slammed her against the stone wall. _"Better men and women than you have died in the Joining, and after everything you've done you think I'd sully their memory by welcoming a murdering piece of trash like you into the Order!?"_

Velanna struggled helplessly the human's powerful grip, he struck her with such force it made her drift on the edge of consciousness. His powerful hands closed around her neck and she felt her esophagus and trachea slowly being crushed. _"I wouldn't be the first one."_ The elf rasped.

_"Commander, stop!"_ Nathaniel pleaded, he couldn't stand by and let her be killed for Aedan's anger. "_I know her crimes are grave, but was my crime any less terrible? The Order doesn't turn away powerful volunteers because of their crimes. We are not judges!"_

_"He's right."_ Anders agreed. _"We don't exactly have a line people looking to join our ranks right now. And besides, you said so yourself, there is little more dangerous or frightening than a pissed off Dalish mage with access to magic no one else knows."_

_"And I hate admit it Commander, but I don't think you could have killed that dragon without her help."_ Oghren reminded.

After a moment of contemplation Aedan released Velanna from his hold. The Velanna fell to the ground and coughing terribly._ "All right Velanna. You will become a Grey Warden, but if you do anything to endanger the mission or abandon your post, I'll burn you in a way that'll impress Andraste. Oh, and by the way, you can thank these other humans for your life, elf."_

Velanna rubbed her sore throat and smacked away the human mages hand when offered to help her up. She didn't need the aid of shemlen. This Warden-Commander was no different than any other shem she and her clan had encountered. This Order was a means to an end and nothing. If they could give her the power to find and save her sister, she'd brave the Void to find her.

Aedan couldn't believe what was happening. That wretched thing killed a whole clan of Dalish elves in some kind of experiment and did some sort of study on them while they were asleep. What was that thing? Not only was it capable of speech, it was capable of higher levels of thought like read, write and command. And the fact that it was a mage was also disconcerting.

Whatever it was, it was a threat to the safety and security of Amaranthine, perversion against nature, and it made the suicidal mistake of pissing Aedan off. Aedan must kill it, anything like it, and anyone who assists it. Even if it means killing Velanna's sister if she stand in his way. Nothing must threaten his homeland.

**Somewhere in the Deep Roads.**

The Architect walked with grim solemnity, his face bare and maskless, revealing the sad, distorted, almost human features that laid beneath. _"How...unfortunate."_ He lamented in a sad, sorrowful sigh.

The Blight-ridden dwarf silently stood next to him and affectionately held his clawed hand, looking up to him with sadness in her cloudy eyes. The Architect looked down at his lifelong companion. He didn't need her to speak to know what she meant._ "No, Utha. It is lost to us now. There is no point in returning. Your former comrades are impressive, and they will be difficult to convince. Especially, the angry one. The one slew Urthemiel."_

Utha's face twisted with sadness. She let go of his hand and strode away from him in despair.

_"No, Utha, it is not too late."_ The Architect informed. _"I will fulfill my promise to you. All the blood we've shed and time we've consumed will not have been in vain."_ The Architect marched forward with determination in his stride and disfigured eyes. _"Come, we must prepare our forces. War is coming."_


	5. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**To all my readers, followers and fans. I truly regret to inform you that I've decided to place Aedan's story on hiatus. I realize that this may come as a disappointment, but let me explain. Like many of you, I am certain, I've lately been playing Dragon Age Inquisition and I so desperately want to write about my own Inquisitor. This has been consuming me and has taken my interest away from this fic for the time being. I will attempt to continue with this story when I'm not engaged in any other interests. **

**I realize that may come as a disappointment to some and I hope you don't think lesser of me for it. Please know that Aedan will be cannon with my Inquisitor, and for those of you who have given me editing advice, please know that I will carry what you've told me into my next story.**

**Sincerely and with fondest regards,**

**Powerslammer.**

**PS,**

**I will be posting my new story soon. So please, keep an eye out and tell me what you think.**

**Fly straight and do not waver,**

**Bend but never break,**

**Together, we are stronger than the one,**

**~The Vir Tanadhal, The Way of Three Trees. **


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